CONTROVERSIAL planning applications for the development of a community building in Sedgefield village have been withdrawn.

Sedgefield Town Council had applied for planning permission and listed building consent for a three-storey side extension to Ceddesfeld Hall.

The proposal was to build to the east of the Grade II-listed hall to provide more space for community and voluntary groups to use.

The council had sought consent as part of a long-standing review of facilities in the village focused around the future of another community building - Sedgefield Parish Hall, the use of which is restricted because of noise pollution.

Objectors wrote dozens of letters and collected a petition signed by about 1,000 residents stating a host of reasons why the scheme should not be approved.

The main points of concern were an adverse impact on an historic building and parkland, poor parking provision, destruction of wildlife habitat and the feared loss of the parish hall.

But the town council decided to withdraw the applications, which were due to go before Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee on Friday, because of officers' lengthy reasons for recommending refusal.

The town council is now expected to continuing working with consultants to try to overcome the objections before resubmitting plans.

It says the applications form part of the ideas process, that no final decision over the future of any building has been made and consultation with the public continues.

Norma Neal, spokesperson for the objectors, said: "A few of us had planned to go to the meeting and state our concerns, to try and get the town council to give up pursuit of this idea.

"We are disappointed that we didn't have this chance."