THREE objections have been received concerning an application to build a heart unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

South Durham Health Care NHS Trust has already received outline planning permission for the cardio-angiography unit in the grounds of the hospital, and has submitted a detailed application.

Planning officers are recommending that members of Darlington Borough Council's planning committee approve the scheme, despite concerns from residents in Greenbank Road and West Crescent.

The new unit, which would be able to accommodate up to eight patients at a time, would specialise in diagnosing various heart diseases.

It would be situated to the rear of the main hospital building in an enclosed, grassed area next to Greenbank Road.

Staff and patient accommodation will be on the ground floor of the building, which would be serviced by a first floor plant room, with a corridor connecting the unit to the main hospital building.

However, residents in Greenbank Road fear the unit will be noisy and add to the disturbance they already suffer from the hospital at night.

Residents in West Crescent are also concerned that some of their properties already suffer from subsidence because of interference with water courses, and they fear another development will make it worse.

The planning committee will make a decision on the application at its meeting on Wednesday.