CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a temporary home at a fish farm have been given the go-ahead, despite objections by people living nearby.

Members of Wear Valley District Council's development control committee agreed that there was a need for residential accommodation on the site on land south of Derwent Bridge, Edmundbyers.

But councillors said they were still not happy with the design of the wooden structure that has been proposed by the applicants.

Joan and John Linney, from Shotley Bridge, near Consett, have spent several years and hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to set up the enterprise in the countryside surrounding the Derwent Reservoir.

They already had permission for four ponds and have spent about £235,000 on access roads, an agricultural shed and water and electricity connections.

But their plans ground to a halt when planning permission was twice refused for temporary accommodation on the site, which is in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty.

People living near the site have branded it an eyesore and turned out at the development control meeting to ask councillors to refuse a new application for the chalet-style accommodation, which they say will ruin the appearance of the area altogether.

Two objectors said that most of the nearby village was against the development.

Many meetings had been held to protest at what had happened, they said.

However, agent Ian Self, acting on behalf of Mr and Mrs Linney, said it had been proved that there was a need for accommodation on site.

Councillor David Kingston said he felt that the committee had to give permission for some sort of home.

However, he asked that the final design be brought back to the council before it was constructed.