CONCERN about the possibility of a landslip has not stopped plans for a swimming pool being built on the side of Saltburn bank.

People living in Marine Parade turned out in force to express their fear about potential damage to their Victorian homes should the plan for Teddy's Nook be approved.

And it took the casting vote of the chairman of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee to make the decision.

The residents were supported by ward councillors Philip Thomson and Stuart Smith, who both spoke against the proposal after cracks apparently appeared in pavements in Marine Parade as a result of sample drilling to determine whether the scheme was feasible.

Councillor Thomson said: "I don't think that the work done so far in soil investigation has done enough to assess the integrity of the land which this building is going to be built on."

And Eric Reece, who lives in Britannia Mansions, said: "I have lived in Marine Parade for nearly 40 years and have seen movement and cracks in the middle of the road. If this planning application is passed and something goes wrong and there's a landslip which affects our homes, we will have no other choice but to go to our own pockets to pay for repairs."

Councillor Mary Lanigan said: "I actually feel that given the location and given the problems we have had on the bank with slippage, I'm not convinced that the developments are not going to cause further problems. This is going to be catastrophic if the land slips."

The application for the swimming pool, which also includes a roof terrace and two car parking spaces, was originally before the committee in July, when the members requested that a report about the bank stability be provided before a decision was made.

Following the production of the report, planning officers recommended the scheme for approval stating that due to its size, design and location it would not have a detrimental impact on the Saltburn Conservation Area.

However, following a vote with five members in favour and five opposed to the application, it came down to the casting vote of the chairman, Councillor Brian Hogg, to approve the plan.