A COMEDIAN is putting his £80,000 cottage on the market to pay for legal action against a council in a seafront planning dispute.

Stand-up comic Chris McGlade is to mount a legal challenge against Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council over its proposals for a £55m redevelopment of Coatham Enclosure, Redcar.

The authority has been advised by a barrister to procede with plans for the mixed housing and leisure scheme, but have not made the legal advice public.

Mr McGlade said seven, 80-year-old covenants restrict the use of the site to leisure.

He is putting his home on the market to fund legal action to force the council to reveal the advice.

He said: "If the barrister's report had gone in the council's favour, they would be screaming it from the roof tops.

"I am taking them to court and putting my home in the hands of our solicitors to pay our costs. And I will see the council in court.

"The only way to get that document out in the open is to take them to court.''

Mr McGlade, who has always argued the council could create leisure facilities on the enclosure without selling land for housing, said his two-bedroomed Redcar cottage was worth about £80,000.

Councillor Vera Moody, cabinet member for economic development, said the barrister's report was good news.

She said: "This is great news for the people of Coatham, Redcar and the whole borough. It means we can continue with our exciting plans to provide new and much-needed leisure and housing as well as facilities to attract tourists.

"The only disappointment from our point of view is that additional legal advice says we must not publish counsel's opinion."

She said: "But I can tell everyone that the opinion as it stands is very positive and very thorough. It certainly does not sound any warning bells in terms of continuing with the project."

Peter Jordan, regional projects director with council development partner Persimmon Homes, said: "We have always been aware of the concerns about the covenants, but believe this issue has now been resolved and we can continue with the plans to regenerate the area.