MODERN street lamps are to be installed in the centre of Hutton Rudby rather than Victorian-style lanterns.

A decision has been made by the parish council, after lengthy discussions with residents.

All the strengths and weaknesses of different designs have been gone into - including the height and angle of necks and posts, and the colour of light bulbs.

A Victorian style was suggested by the parish council, which it thought would enhance the green, North End, and Rudby.

However, some residents said the Victorian design was historically wrong and pointed out that Hutton Rudby did not have gas until the 1990s.

They also feared that light would shine into their bedrooms and asked whether the extra lamps required would be fixed onto houses, or located on the green and pavements.

In an argument over aesthetics, some owners of modern homes felt the proposed lamps would clash with their properties.

Hambleton council, which will install the lamps, sent leaflets on the scheme to 240 properties in the autumn.

Speaking at the latest parish council meeting, chairman Coun John Richardson said: "About ten residents attended our meeting and my impression was they thought shorter posts were better than taller ones, and preferred round necks to right-angled necks.

"Now that the parish council has given people the opportunity to discuss the designs, it must say what it feels the village requires. Somebody has to come to a decision and I think it should be the parish council."

However, councillors were still not sure which design to choose. They accepted modern designs were most functional, but stressed they did not want a design with no neck, as used between Tame Bridge and Stokesley.

They thought that design was particularly ugly and claimed the bulbs cast a harsh light which was too bright for a rural road.

Other traditional designs were then looked at, including a railway station design with a large, arched neck and a round, metal shade.

While some councillors liked this, Coun Peter Markey said the large design would be difficult to fix onto houses.

Coun Stewart Robertson felt enough time had been spent on lamps. He did not believe lamp design was a key issue with residents, as had been shown by the relatively small attendance at the meeting.

"I don't think people are too bothered about this. We shouldn't complicate the issue. Everybody differs on taste," he stressed.

In the vote, councillors opted for hockey-stick shaped posts with low-pollution lamps. The posts will be erected on the green and the bulbs will be white, not yellow.

A similar style will be erected at Middleton on Leven.