STUDLEY residents who turned up to a planning committee meeting to object to the conversion of two houses into flats were left fuming because too few councillors were present to make a decision on them.

They had attended Stratford District Council's meeting on Thursday to object to plans to turn the two semi-detached houses in Highfield Road, off Station Road, into five flats.

But the crucial decision was abandoned because three of the committee were Studley councillors and were therefore barred from voting on the plans.

As a result, the committee fell below a "quorum", the number needed to make decisions.

Studley Parish Council had already voiced its feelings about the scheme, saying there were too few parking places for residents in the flats and they would look out of place on the road.

The disappointment follows a similar meeting in September when a group of protestors turned up to object to a phone mast in Mappleborough Green but went home after too few councillors turned up to make a decision.

The committee has 10 councillors. But all it takes is for two none-Studley councillors to be absent and any decisions on Studley planning applications in future will have to be abandoned until another date.