CONTROVERSIAL plans for a new library and care home flats in Stokesley were approved in principle yesterday.

Hambleton District Council's planning committee spent more than an hour discussing the plans before deciding to approve them in principle, subject to design changes, with further reports to be taken back to the committee.

The application by North Yorkshire County Council and Broadacres Housing Association to develop a former council depot in North Road caused anger in the town.

Local people want a new library, but some are against the proposed sale of the historic Manor House, where the library is currently housed, in order to fund the project.

There are also concerns about increased traffic to the North Road site, which will include the library, 40 care home flats, meeting facilities, office accommodation and 12 dwellings and domestic garages.

Objector Derek Robinson said at yesterday's meeting that the design of the proposed modern library was completely out of character with Stokesley, comparing it to something from the space age, and also raised worries about traffic.

"There will be a big increase in traffic on an estate which is an oasis of civilised living," he said.

Chris Dennis spoke on behalf of the architects for the whole development, saying that there had been significant modifications to the plans from the originals in a bid to address concerns.

He also pointed out that the parish council, which had been a major objector, now supported the amended plans.

Ward councillor Jackie Griffiths explained that a time limit on available funding for the Broadacres part of the development was putting pressure on the rest of the scheme.

"It is linked to the sale of the Manor House and a grant for the Broadacres element; there is a time limit on those and therefore people are being held to ransom over the time and design elements of the library.

"People have been told that Stokesley library would not see any improvements for ten to 15 years if this scheme is not approved, but, if it goes ahead, the town will be left with an unmanageable traffic problem."

Coun John Coulson said the scheme would be the ruination of a market town and advised members not to take seriously threats that the library improvements might not go ahead without the development, explaining other avenues could be investigated.

He said: "Send this back and say it's just not Stokesley," adding: "Planning officers have lost the plot."

Coun David Smith suggested being innovative with design in market towns was not necessarily a bad thing, but Coun David Murkett said the care home flats would "look like the Costa del Sol" and would not be in keeping with North Yorkshire.

Coun David Webster said: "Funding makes this a now or never situation and if it wasn't for that I would prefer to see the matter deferred."

Maurice Cann, head of development control at Hambleton Council, suggested members could approve the scheme in principle, but subject to major design changes being made.

Coun Coulson hit back by asking members to refuse the application altogether, but moves for refusing and deferring the proposals lost out.