A DECISION to allow a housing estate to be built in a village has been condemned by parish councillors.

Members of Middleton St George Parish Council say they were not given time to comment on the development on land off Killinghall Row in the village.

They said the planning application was received after their March meeting and a letter written to the borough council asking them to delay a decision was rejected.

Parish councillor Christine Sirrell said: "We are not talking about a conservatory . We are talking about something that will have a great impact on the village."

But a spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said the authority could not wait until after the April parish meeting.

He said: "We have to meet government guidelines to deal with planning applicaitons within eight weeks.

"Waiting until April would have taken us over this time."

Parish councillor Doris Jones raised the parish's objections at the borough council meeting but the plans were approved.

She said: "I do not think such a large development should have gone through. The people who have to live with it should have been given their say.

"We couldn't hold an emergency meeting as a lot of councillors were away."

The parish council may set up a sub-committee to deal with planning applications received between meetings.