AN MP has blasted "incompetent" councillors for breaking planning rules which led to a proposed £55m housing development on a North-East seafront being thrown out by a High Court judge.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council had given the scheme the go-ahead in the build-up to last May's local elections, a move the judge ruled was potentially biased.

Now the council has been left to foot the bill for a legal challenge from The Friends of Coatham Common.

The council and developers, Persimmon Homes, intend to appeal against the decision on the scheme, which would have brought 350 homes, leisure centre facilities, and a "lifehouse" visitor and performance centre.

Redcar MP Vera Baird said last night: "Taxpayers in Redcar should be furious. Now the public have to pay the protestors' costs, and all because the previous coalition administration bungled the planning meeting on the Coatham development.

"Despite warnings at the time, made very clear in our leaflets, the old Lib-Tory coalition held the meeting in the politically-charged environment of an election campaign. There were even candidates standing specifically on a platform against the development at Coatham.

"The rules say decisions likely to cause controversy are not taken in this period, known as purdah. And the court decision made clear that it was this error, and not the quality of the decision on the Coatham development, which will now mean the planning committee will have to reconsider the application in their independent and quasi- judicial role.

And she added: "It is a great shame that families' money has been lost due to the former council's incompetence."

Peter Jordan, regional project director for Persimmon Homes in the North-East, confirmed that the company intended to appeal against the decision.

He said: "We are disappointed by the High Court decision in relation to the proposed Coatham Links development.

"The High Court has upheld the legal challenge brought by the Friends of Coatham Common on the basis of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's decision to determine the planning application for the scheme during the purdah period before a local election.

"The decision relates to the technicalities of the application determination process and in no way diminishes the planning attributes of the Coatham Links scheme.

"We have been given leave to appeal against the decision and are currently seeking legal advice to resolve the situation and bring this scheme to fruition."