RESIDENTS fighting plans for a five-metre high wall near their homes have won a temporary reprieve.

Developers Bowey Homes and Dunelm Castle Homes are building a housing estate on the former Murray Park greyhound stadium in Stanley, north Durham.

As reported in The Northern Echo last week, builders started work on a boundary wall overlooking properties in nearby Kay Street, Church Street and Ridley Street without waiting for planning permission.

Householders, who claim they were not properly consulted about the wall, have sent a 100-signature protest petition to Derwentside District Council.

The authority's development control committee was expected to lift a planning condition last week, so that the wall could go ahead.

But after hearing complaints from residents and a letter from local MP Kevan Jones, councillors opted to visit the site before reaching a decision.

Councillor Cath Clarke, who proposed the visit, said: "I am very concerned about the lack of resident consultations."

The council last year granted permission for 108 homes to be constructed at Murray Park.

The developers then submitted plans for five extra homes, bordering Kay Street, Church Street and Ridley Street.

However, only four residents were informed of the new plans.

Under planning law, such small schemes only go to committee for a vote if there have been objections from residents.

Councillors heard how two letters of objection were sent in about the five houses but planners decided they were not worded properly, so they were treated as observations.

This meant planning officers were able to grant approval for the scheme in July without it passing before the council.

Ron Wilson, 55, of Kay Street, said: "We will be taking the matter to the Ombudsman."

The developers said they needed the wall for safety reasons and because the level of the site had been raised