A RIVERSIDE development plan has sparked so much controversy that a council has had to postpone a public meeting - to look for a bigger venue.

Nearly 4,500 people have objected to plans to build 150 houses and commercial developments including call centres, e-commerce centres, a hotel and health club, and a sailing centre, at Bowesfield on the edge of the River Tees at Stockton, which is opposite a wetlands wildlife haven.

A meeting of Stockton Borough Council's planning committee was due to have taken place in the council chamber on Saturday but has been put back to a later date.

Explaining the problem, Councillor Dick Cains, vice- chairman of the committee, said: "There has been a great deal of public interest in these proposals and as a result we have decided to postpone the special meeting of the planning committee that will consider the application.

"This will allow us to arrange a larger venue and give councillors more time to study the proposals. I would like to apologise for any inconvenience the change in date may have caused.''