DETAILED plans for housing on a key gateway to Durham have been rejected.

Durham City Council, which previously granted outline planning permission for housing at the site of the former Cock o' the North pub, was unhappy with detailed proposals for a 44-unit residential development.

Shepherd Homes wanted to build a four-storey apartment block containing 25 flats, seven town houses of two and three-storeys and 12 other homes on the two-acre site at Farewell Hall. Residents have now called for a meeting with the site developers.

The council received 21 letters of objection to the scheme, including one from the City of Durham Trust objecting to tree felling on the site, potentially threatening the "incomparable approach" to the city centre on South Road.

On Tuesday, members of the council's development control committee refused planning permission, citing density and size of the proposed housing, loss of trees, and lack of recreational amenities on the site as reasons.

The company was urged to return to the drawing board to come up with more acceptable plans for the sensitive site.

Council development control manager Allan Simpson is to write to Shepherd Homes outlining the committee's misgivings.

Among the objectors was Linda Boggon, who lives in neighbouring Farewell Hall. She was delighted committee members listened to residents' views. She said: "I hope Shepherd Homes take notice of the feelings expressed and come up with something more appropriate.

"It would help if the developer would talk to us. We're not against the site being developed, but we'd really like to talk to them about what goes on the site."

Neighbour Mark Greenwood, a surgeon at Newcastle General Hospital, was most concerned at the lack of on-site recreational amenity.

As a trauma specialist who deals with many motor accident casualties, he said he feared for road safety if children from the site were forced to cross nearby dual highways to visit the nearest play areas.

A spokesman for development architects Ian Derby in Newcastle said they would meet site owner Shepherd Homes to scrutinise the committee'' decision before considering the next move.