A TORY councillor has welcomed a partial victory over a controversial housing estate.

But Cllr Gareth Anderson said more could have been done to counter worries over the Little Sutton scheme.

The council's planning committee granted permission for Redrow Homes (North West) to build 95 homes off Berwick Road.

The scheme includes 24 apartments and many detached houses. It also includes roads, sewers, garaging and open space.

The planning committee raised concerns about the design, height, parking provision, protection of trees and lighting on the nearby footpath.

The council's head of planning will negotiate with Redrow over these matters.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Anderson (Ledsham Ward) said: 'I was disappointed that planning members didn't refuse the application outright, as I'd asked.

'However, they have shown a great deal of common sense in their determination to alter what I think are the worst aspects of Redrow's plans for this semi-rural site.'

He explained: 'Numerous residents and Little Sutton Primary School had raised objections to the latest plans from Redrow, which had changed since the official public consultation.

'I shared their concerns and argued at the planing meeting that the density of the site had increased unacceptably and without explanation from 80 to 96 dwellings.

'The road design will cause problems during school opening and closing hours and the design, location and layout of the flats on the site are totally unacceptable.'

Cllr Anderson added: 'The affordable housing should not be of second-rate quality or design.

'We were also very disappointed with the distant location of the parking spaces from the flats.

'The committee placed a variety of stringent conditions on the developer which, if stuck to, will make the best of a bad situation.

'I strongly believe that with the partial granting of this site, the likelihood of the farmland in Ledsham Road being concreted over grows ever distant.'