A DEBATE on controversial plans to build more than 400 homes in a village was postponed after hundreds of protestors packed a council meeting.

Darlington Borough Council's planning committee was due to discuss two separate applications for homes on two sites in the village of Middleton St George.

But the applications were deferred until a later date, after an estimated 200 residents turned up to make their feelings known.

The applications – on sites at High Stell and Sadberge Road – will now be considered later in the year, after a larger venue can be arranged.

Efforts were made to enable the discussions at Darlington Town Hall to go ahead during today's (Wednesday, February 3) meeting.

A suggestion that the meeting be moved from the cramped committee room to the main council chamber was thwarted after it became clear the chamber was already being used for staff training.

Committee chairman Paul Baldwin moved that the applications be deferred, which was agreed by other committee members.

Middleton St George parish council chairman Doris Jones, who is also a borough council ward member for the village, asked that the rearranged debate is held outside of office hours, so more residents are able to attend.

She said: "I was very proud of the residents, they showed the strength of feeling in Middleton St George against this ridiculous over-development that's going on.

"The feelings are much stronger, but many people could not get away from work, so were not able to get there,

"I think the discussion should be held at a time that suits taxpayers.

"You can not move in the village, the roads are crammed; we just can't take any more."

Cllr Steve York, ward councillor for Middleton St George, said: "I am sure that residents who attended this meeting will attend again and take time off work again to do so, the feeling against this development is that strong."

Before the start of the meeting, protestors opposed to the developments gathered outside the town hall, waving banners calling on planning officials to protect the village from over-development.

The applications to be considered include one for up to 200 homes on land off High Stell, which has attracted more than 160 objections.

A second development of 234 homes on fields off Sadberge Road seems likely to win approval, situated as it is on land now known locally as the 'Gladman site', after an outline planning application was controversially approved following a public inquiry last year.