RESIDENTS in Wick who opposed a new three-bedroomed house in their street were stunned by a council decision to grant planning permission on Thursday.

Members of Wychavon District Council's development control and licensing committee overturned the recommendation of their planning officers and granted permission for the villa-style house in Wick House Close.

Carol Roberts, a nearby resident in Yock Lane, who will view the end wall of the new house from her home, was one of the five neighbours to submit letters of objection to the council.

"We can't believe it," she said. "Our concerns were not even mentioned. I'm amazed because 100 per cent of the people living around the site were opposed to it and it still went ahead, it's so subjective. It seems local opinion was not taken into much consideration at all."

Some councillors at the meeting thought the style of the new house, which will be built in the garden of number 16, was inconsistent with those already in Wick House Close.

But coun Malcolm Meikle said: "If I had to choose between this and the ones that already exist in Wick House Close, I would choose this."

Committee members agreed that they could not expect new houses to always repeat those which exist in the village and granted planning permission.

Mrs Roberts said: "We're not opposed to building on the site but we wanted an appropriate design. This new design was based on Wick House, which used to be there, but that was a grand house on a huge plot of its own. This is in a cul-de-sac.

"The width of the proposed house is twice the size of my home, which is for a family of four."

Mrs Roberts said residents would be looking at what action could now be taken to reverse the decision.