FOUR new homes are set to be built on the site of a boarding kennels on the edge of York, after a controversial planning application was given the go-ahead.

Councillors last week approved an application for the new houses, with garages and gardens, on the site of Fossbank Boarding Kennels in Earswick.

The planning committee went against the advice of experts in the council's own planning department, and some residents who had argued against letting new homes be built in the greenbelt.

However, councillors on the committee said that common sense should prevail, and that as the current kennels and cattery buildings already exist in the greenbelt, putting four new homes on the land instead would not make a discernible difference.

Strensall ward councillor Paul Doughty and Earswick's parish council backed the plans.

At the meeting on Thursday, Cllr Doughty said the development would make a small contribution to tackling York's housing need, and added that if the new homes were to be built on the exact footprint of the existing kennels buildings they would not need planning permission at all.

"An exact footprint match is is not practical, but the difference is negligible."

He argued that as Environmental Health officers back the removal of the kennels from the site because of the noise nuisance they cause to nearby homes. The chance for kennels business to move creates the "very special circumstances" planning law requires for greenbelt developments.

Cllr Ian Gillies, a member of the planning committee, said he was very sympathetic towards the kennels owner as she could not develop the business in its current location because of a "noise abatement order", and without the planning permission would not be able to realise the value of the land and move the business elsewhere.

"Common sense needs to prevail here," he added.

However, Earswick resident Jacky Ridley spoke at the meeting to back the planning officials' recommendation, saying opinion within Earswick was overwhelmingly against development.

Cllr Keith Orrell also warned against allowing the construction, saying: "This is greenbelt land and it would set a precedent."

Building on the greenbelt is a contentious issue in Earswick.

Last month footage from an Earswick parish council meeting was released which showed the gathering descending into chaos after a question was posed about whether any greenbelt development should be included in the village's neighbourhood plan.