PEOPLE living next to a controversial housing scheme say that promises to impose age restrictions on prospective buyers have been ignored.

The development at Wheatlands Farm, Redcar, has attracted widespread opposition since the initial proposal was made by Cleveland Housing Aid Trust more than two years ago.

At the time, an application for 22 flats attracted 540 letters of objection and the plan was refused by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee.

But a fresh application on the same site for 16 apartments won approval.

Protestors claimed they were assured the homes would only be sold to people aged 45 and over, but have since learned there is no such age restriction.

The land's original owner, Spirit Group Ltd, wrote to all residents concerned with the plan in September 2003.

It said: "The target for these flats is 50 to 55-year-olds. The trust will actually put a restriction on the title for the properties, prohibiting the sale to under 45-year-olds."

And Housing Aid Trust's general manager, Harold Eddy, was quoted in The Northern Echo in September 2003, as saying: "They will be for people aged 45 or over and that will be a condition of the contracts people sign."

One opponent of the proposed development, who asked not to be named, said: "We were promised all this from all the various parties."

Residents are concerned that young families would move into the development, which is near a pub.

Yesterday, Mr Eddy said that he had not given any guarantees and it would be impossible to apply prejudice in the age of home-buyers.

The apartments are being advertised with the option of a part rent/part buy basis to help people get on to the property ladder.

Mr Eddy said: "We considered whether we would get enough people in the properties if that (an age restriction) was the case - and we would not - so we basically had a re-think.

"At the end of the day, people are finding it hard to buy houses and are looking at other ways. How can I turn round to people and say, after they have gone through the mortgage process, no you can't buy.

"We have done what is right, and we are helping people on to the property ladder.