WYCHAVON district councillors say they are "pig sick" of a block of flats which have been built in the wrong place at Maryman's Road in Evesham.

Councillor Rob Adams coined the phrase after members of the planning committee felt compelled last Thursday to approve retrospective plans by Meades of Evesham Limited.

The company applied for permission to retain units 5-8 at Summerfield Gardens despite the fact that they were built about three quarters of a meter nearer properties in Peewit Road than they should have been.

Earlier this year Meades won an appeal to retain another block of flats on the same site which was three meters out of line.

The whole development has been a contentious issue since last summer, which not only inflamed the neighbours who will be overlooked, but annoyed town and district councillors who called for them all to be demolished. At the meeting last Thursday coun John Smith, who urged his colleagues to vote against the plans, said: "The planning system has failed miserably. We consult, we listen to what the people want and make our decision, then it goes to appeal and that all goes out of the window."

Coun John Payne said: "It makes a nonsense out of the planning procedure."

Jack Heggarty, Wychavon District Council's head of planning, told councillors that it would be futile to refuse the current application because the previous retrospective application, which was far more out of line, was won on appeal.

He told councillors that following the issue new procedures had been put into place which would effectively tighten up building controls.

John Skinner, the chairman of Meades, said: "We are not riding roughshod over planning rules. When we won the original appeal to build the flats the inspector recommended a turning head for traffic, and we moved the position of the buildings to accommodate his recommendations."