PEOPLE power triumphed last night as councillors voted to throw out plans for a controversial bail hostel in a North-East town centre.

Spontaneous applause broke out among protestors who packed a planning meeting of Chester-le-Street District Council, when members refused the probation service's application.

In a lengthy report released last week, planning officers said the fear of increased crime caused by the hostel would lead to "a substantial and widely experienced reduction of the quality of lives" of many in the town.

Residents have been in uproar since the plans were first revealed by The Northern Echo, in October.

Speaking after the application for the 25-bed hostel was rejected, protestor Jim Greer said: "We are overjoyed about the council's decision.

"I hope that the solidarity of the public in its opposition of the inappropriate development will discourage the probation service from even contemplating an appeal."

Councillor Malcolm Pratt, leader of the council and a member of the planning committee, told the meeting: "A decade ago, 18,000 people sent a petition and marched in the town centre against the Riverside development. I think the public were wrong on that occasion, but I believe they are right about this one."

Afterwards, he said: "We have listened to the public, and it is quite obvious that there was a great swell of opinion against the plans. I would be amazed if the probation service appealed because it is on our land and we have already rejected it once."

Keith Norman, assistant chief officer for the probation service, said: "This comes as no real surprise. It is an experience encountered throughout the country.

"I am disappointed that an outward-looking council such as Chester-le-Street has failed to support the building of a resource for County Durham and so end the need for us to rely on Northumbria and Teesside hostels."