CAMPAIGNERS against a development of "2-storey" blocks of flats in Darlington are taking their fight to the top.

And there were new concerns expressed over more apartment blocks planned for the current College of Technology site in Cleveland Avenue.

Angry residents are battling to reverse last week's Darlington planning committee decision to allow 18 flats on the site of the former Bannatyne offices in Cleveland Terrace.

On Wednesday, Susanne Davison and Trudy Whitley met chief executive Barry Keel, to voice concerns about how the meeting was run by chairman, Coun Frank Robson.

Later Mrs Davison said they would make a formal complaint to the ombudsman and also contact the Secretary of State to find out if the scheme was a departure from the town plan.

She believes the decision was pushed through because the planning committee wanted to be top of a local government league table for dealing speedily with applications.

She also likened developers to "cuckoos moving into nests" by encroaching on other people's gardens in order to put in as many houses as possible.

"There were a number of misrepresentations made at the planning meeting on which councillors based their decision," she went on.

"The developer said the flats would be no higher than the existing offices, which is untrue. These blocks were said to be 2 storeys into the roof. But, because they need a wider gable and a higher pitched roof, that makes a full extension to a three-storey building."

Miss Whitley said: "I am particularly flabbergasted that the chairman was able to use his own views to influence members, who may have been in two minds before that."

Mrs Davison was also scathing about plans to build three- and four-storey blocks of flats in Cleveland Avenue when Darlington College of Technology is demolished in 2006.

She said the one parking space per flat provided by developers failed to take account of two-car families, adding: "I think they are going to totally spoil the whole area."

Charles Church of Newton Aycliffe has applied for planning permission to build 129 dwellings, a mix of three- and four-storey apartment blocks, three-storey town houses and single detached houses, plus parking and garages.

The scheme will affect people in Abbey Road, Elton Road and Dale Road, whose gardens at present back on to open space.

Coun Charles Johnson told the D&S Times: "I have concerns about the Government's guidelines on the density of development on so-called brownfield sites.

"We had an application for flats at Cockerton, which has gone to appeal, and last week the planning committee approved similar density apartments on the former Bannatyne site. I have asked our planning department to look at this whole question."

Coun Sheila Brown, who waged a campaign to keep the college where it is, said: "We seem to becoming a town centre of apartment blocks.