RESIDENTS have applauded councillors who rejected a controversial housing development, despite officers recommending approval.

Durham City Council's development control committee refused plans, by Kepier Homes, formed by construction firm Laing O'Rourke and the Three Rivers Housing Association, for 70 apartments in four buildings on university land at Mayorswell Close, a conservation area.

The site, which includes the Victorian-built Kepier House, used to provide student accommodation that has been replaced by flats near the city's university hospital.

Residents, who sent more than 100 letters of objections to the council, held a silent vigil when councillors visited the site and spoke against the scheme at the committee meeting.

Residents spokesman, retired professor Bill Williamson, said the development was out of scale with the area, was poorly designed and would lead to traffic problems.

Prof Williamson said: "The decision was almost unanimous and councillors made some really good observations. We are really pleased with the support local members, Councillors Rae and Freeman, gave us.

"We think we have only won round one as the developers might decide to appeal - but we are pretty confident the inspector would refuse the appeal.''

But he added that the application raised "some profound issues'' about planning in a "city where there is enormous pressure from developers.

"You have a system that deals with really big projects as if they were an extension to a house at Newton Hall.

"There was no consultation with residents. If the developers had come to us we might have been able to suggest things that would have made the development more acceptable - we are not against development, we didn't like these proposals.''

A council spokesman said: "There was a significant turn-out of residents and significant opposition to the proposed development.

"Council planning officers recommended that the plans go through, but after much deliberation the members decided against it for two reasons.

"They were concerned about the size, scale and mass of the development and the impact on residential amenity and the character of the conservation area.

"It could be that the developers come back to us to discuss revised plans or they could appeal against the committee's decision."