A £25M police training college which will help to put more bobbies on the beat has been given overwhelming backing by planners in Harrogate.

Earlier, a Home Office scheme to replace the existing centre at Pannal Ash drew criticism from the government's planning watchdog - the Commission for Architecture and the built Environment. It said designs for the multi-million pound project fell short of standards needed for the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Awards.

The original plans, which ran against 16 planning policies, also brought objections from the town's Civic Society and local residents.

But following revised plans to lessen the impact on nearby homes, a designated Special Landscape Area and a decision to keep an imposing avenue of trees, members of Harrogate area planning committe gave their backing to the project.

Planning officer Mairi Lock recommended counci-llors did not object to the new training centre. But she expressed concern about an increase of traffic on the site in Yew Tree Lane with 430 trainees, 70 trainers and the same number of residential staff.

Although the council could not refuse the application because of Crown immunity, Miss Lock said a permanent bus service was needed to the site to cut down the number of trips by car.

She also highlighted the need for road safety improvements in the area.

Residents welcomed what they called the spirit of co-operation with the applicants following the initial application. They called for condtions to cover noise including marching, parading, shouting of commands and riot training.

Meanwhile the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment said of the latest plan that the layout had continued to improve as the design had developed.

Harrogate Civic Society said that "remarkable improvements" had been made