A COUNCILLOR says a year-old warehouse should never have been built and is calling for its planning permission to be reconsidered.

Councillor Chris Foote Wood wants the original plans for a showroom and warehouse belonging to National Masonry to be called in for view by the Secretary of State for the Environment, saying local people would have objected if they had known it would be so conspicuous.

No objections were received when the company applied to to Wear Valley District Council for permission to construct the building, which overlooks the Coundon bypass.

But Coun Foote Wood, the ward councillor for the area, says people did not object because they thought it would be a single-storey chalet-style building.

He said the seven-metre warehouse towers over Howlish Boarding Catteries next door, which had strict planning conditions imposed on its construction, including roof felt of a particular colour and height restrictions.

Coun Foote Wood wants an investigation into the planning consent and is advising local people to petition the Government to review the plans.

He said: "Local residents did not place any objections to the original plans because they had been led to believe it was only a small development. It was described as a 'small showroom' and a single-storey, chalet-style building."

"When the original building was put up it was much larger."

The council's assistant director of planning, David Townsend, said back-tracking on planning approval was out of the question.

He said: "There is a procedure where you can withdraw approval, but this is before the development has commenced. So there is no way we are unravelling that decision."

Retrospective planning permission to extend a 25-metre masonry showroom and warehouse near the Coundon bypass by ten metres was refused at a planning meeting last week, after bitter opposition from people living in the hamlet of Howlish.

District councillors decided the extension was too big and the two extra bays would have to be dismantled.

Peter Nutkins, from Howlish, said: "This extension was a 40 per cent increase of the floor space, so at the end of the day we are absolutely delighted with the council's decision. It would be even better if we could get the original plans called in."

National Masonry declined to comment.