PLANNING enforcement rules in Hambleton have come under fire for the second time in two months as another house goes up without the correct permission.

A two-storey house in Manor Court, off Church View, in Brompton, near Northallerton, is in the late stages of development despite being larger and in a different spot to that agreed to by Hambleton District Council planning officers.

The planning department was criticised last month for recommending approval of an incorrectly-measured house in Ingleby Arncliffe and refusing the local parish council's request to issue an enforcement order to stop construction work on it.

Building work on the Brompton house has continued since January, despite concern by villagers and assurances from planning officers that the applicant would be warned against breaching planning permission.

An agent for the applicant, however, said the changes were minimal and his firm was surprised by the objections.

Villagers received notification at the end of last month after amended plans were submitted. "It is absurd," said one, who did not wish to be named.

"We have received plans for this house which already exists, and even these are not accurate. Right from the start, when the site was cleared, it was obvious that the house was not in the right place, and there were concerns about some trees being removed.

"The council was made aware at these very early stages that things were not right, and has been contacted many times since. While we are all waiting for amended plans to be submitted, the building work just carries on. It turns the system into a joke."

Barbara Slater, chairman of Brompton Parish Council, said: "I'm disappointed that people have continued to build without sticking to the original plans. But it is wrong that they have even been able to do this. The district council should have done more to stop it before it got to this stage."

Coun Slater said villagers were invited to raise concerns at the parish council annual meeting which is held on Tuesday, at 7pm, in the village hall.

A spokesman from the district council planning department said people breached planning permission at their own risk.

"The council can and does order people to take down buildings or extensions which have not been granted permission," he said.

"In this case, amended plans have been submitted to cover changes in the design. The plans will be examined and may be approved or may be rejected. If they are rejected, applicants can be ordered to take the building down at their own expense. That is the risk they run."

The applicant is Arthur Little from Guisborough. His agent, Gordon Henderson, from G R Henderson Architectural Design in Redcar, said the firm had worked closely with planning officers and changes to the designs had been minor.

"We have talked to the officers right the way through about this development," said Mr Henderson. "The house is not very visible to other properties and there have only been a few slight modifications to the original design. The changes are so minimal that we are surprised that anyone would even have any objections to them.

"We work with a lot of councils and committees and have checked and taken steps to make sure the changes are above board and of an acceptable nature."