A FUNERAL director has lodged an appeal after proposals to take over an historic building were turned down by planners.

Hambleton District Council rejected plans to convert Register House, in Northallerton, to a funeral parlour, including building an extension.

But Darlington-based Seaton Leng has appealed to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), asking it to overturn the council's decision.

Alan Cowie, of property consultants Peter Fall Cowie, acting for Seaton Leng, said: "We have lodged an appeal against the decision but I can't go into details on the basis for the appeal."

He said both sides would submit written details of their case to the DETR. An inspector was expected to make a decision in about two months.

A spokesman for Mouchel, agents for North Yorkshire County Council which is selling the building that dates back to 1736, confirmed that an appeal against the planning decision had been lodged.

He said the sale of the building was conditional on the purchaser being granted planning permission.

Register House, a grade II listed building, was the first public administration building in North Yorkshire.

It was later turned into private residence before becoming the headquarters of the county's probation service until 1998.

Hambleton planning officers had recommended Seaton Leng be given permission to take over the building, but councillors felt the proposed extension did not respect the character of Register House.