A seemingley non-contentious planning application left Ryedale District Councillors deadlocked and divided last night.

The application was for three detached homes, with garages, on the site of the former Christian Centre, in Castle Howard Road, Malton.

It was a modification of an earlier application which had been refused.

But it was again refused after members had been warned to take "extreme caution" when it looked like getting the green light.

Officers warned that approving an application very similar to one that had previously been turned down led to a risk of maladministration.

Grounds for refusal were that the homes would be in the Malton conservation area, and that they would be of unsympathetic layout, design and density to that area.

Leading the debate, Coun Lindsay Burr said her concerns from the first application remained.

The application was too big for the plot of land, and should be refused again, she said.

However, Coun Stephen Shaw spoke strongly in favour of approval.

He said: "When I look at the size of the plots I can't believe this is being described as over development. The application seems perfectly reasonable to me."

Recommending approval, Coun Brian Maude commented: "The houses they propose to build would be a lot better to look at than the prefabs that were there originally."

The application was refused by five votes to four.

Updated: 10:45 Wednesday, January 17, 2001