A £300,000 sewage treatment scheme at Skipton on Swale, near Thirsk, is nearing completion - but the project, which will take waste water from the village, has upset many locals.

They are angry that an access road has involved concreting part of the village green, and claim the works are much larger than those approved by the parish meeting.

Maj Henry King said: "The meeting looked at and approved the original plans, but we feel the resulting works are much larger. We asked North Yorkshire County Council to have a brake put on the scheme until a further plan had been submitted and approved, but the work has gone ahead.

"We now have a large stretch of concrete on our village green. We only expected a narrow road; this is big enough to get a double-decker through."

Although it isn't an official village green, it is thought of as such and the war memorial stands on it. "We are certainly unhappy with the results," added Maj King.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water, which is responsible for the treatment works, said: "Having contacted the project engineer, I am assured that the works have been constructed according to the original plans which were approved. They may look bigger than anticipated, but this may be due to the fact that have provided a car-parking space for residents of a row of cottages near the works."

The access road and damaged village green would be tidied up and landscaped once the weather improved, he said.

"This scheme is a massive environmental improvement for the village. All the waste water ran straight into the river. The project is expected to be complete by the end of February, with landscaping work finished by the end of March.