OUTRAGED village residents are demanding a stop to building work near their homes.

The group, who live at Marsh Gardens and Concord Street in Honley, say a pair of semi-detached houses do not match the original plans.

After a three-year struggle Kirklees Council finally gave the go-ahead last November for a pair of three-bedroom semis to be built in the large garden of a home belonging to the Bourouh family - who are the developers - in Concord Street.

Later, Kirklees planners ordered the building to be knocked down because it did not match the plans.

New plans, raising the roof by more than 18in, have been submitted to the Kirklees.

Alex Woodage and wife Jane live next door at 1 Marsh Gardens.

They believe the Bourouhs are determined to build the house with three storeys to make room for a fourth bedroom.

Councillors threw out initial plans for a three-storey building, saying it was not in keeping with the surrounding homes.

Mr Woodage said: "They have built it as far as they can and have now put in another application to make it taller.

"It was approved by councillors and that is how it should be built. I think the developer is trying to build what they want by putting in these retrospective planning applications to change small aspects.

"When you put all the alterations together plans that were not approved are suddenly allowed."

Clr Donald Firth said: "If everyone who built a house did it this way we would get nowhere. This has been a complete mess from beginning to end.

"If a plan is approved that is how it should be built and that should be the end of it.

"If they want to build it higher the plans for the whole thing should come back to committee so we can discuss it properly."

Jeremy Childs, of Acumen Architects, in Leeds Road, denied anything underhand was going on.

"We have applied for about half a metre extra on the roof to give more loft space.

"We believe this is in keeping with the properties near the development.

"If we do not get planning permission we will build the houses as outlined in the original plans which were approved last year."

Kirklees planning official Bob Barratt said he thought the new plans would have to go before councillors. The earliest opportunity was October 20.