Councillors have put potential jobs before new homes by rejecting a planned housing scheme.

Members of a Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council voted unanimously against the housing scheme in St Wilfrid's Road, Ripon.

It would have paved the way for former workshops linked with a garage business to be replaced by a three-storey block of six flats next to Kingdom Hall.

Planning officer Mike Warden told councillors he strongly recommended refusal because it involved loss of an employment site. He pointed out the scheme made no provision for affordable homes and he was critical of the masssing, scale and size of the development, saying it would impinge on privacy and amenity of neighbours.

Ripon City Council also objected to the scheme, believing it would be out of keeping with existing terraces.

However, there was support for the scheme by Ripon Civic Society.