BLUEPRINTS for flats, described as being among the worst ever seen by the local Civic Society, are to be debated next week.

Developer Elevations Northern is asking Richmondshire District Council for permission to demolish garages behind the old post office in Richmond, which was recently converted into a pub.

The application is for a three-storey building, accommodating 12 flats - most with two bedrooms, but including two one-bedroomed properties.

Drawings to be tabled when the authority's environment and planning committee meets on Tuesday show an access road from Queen's Road with space for parking in front of the new building.

But the project has been panned by the Richmond Civic Society, which has urged Tuesday's committee to reject the application.

"It really is one of the worst we have seen," said spokesman Harold Dick yesterday.

"No one seems to want to grasp the nettle over the land behind the old post office, which is already looking run-down and derelict.

"What we need is a comprehensive strategy which would tidy up the whole area, not a piecemeal approach.

"It seems to us the developer simply wants to cram as many properties as possible into one area and has come up with a three-storey block which doesn't look any better than the sort of thing which was going up in the inner cities after the war - and they can't pull them down fast enough these days."

In their report to the committee, planning officers have not ruled out development on the site, but have said the application by Elevations Northern has short-comings.

Both the highways department and the emergency services are concerned about access arrangements, while Yorkshire Water is concerned the sewers would not be able to cope with additional surface water.

Planners have suggested a decision is delayed until the council has had more time to negotiate with the applicants over the details of the scheme.

Yesterday, Elevations Northern declined to speak to The Northern Echo about the application. A company spokesman said that the design for the development was currently with architects and no more could be said at this time.