Overjoyed residents are celebrating after a controversial housing plan in a Copeland village was put on hold.

Around 30 Lamplugh homeowners cheered when Copeland planners voted four to three against the 26-home executive plan at a meeting on Wednesday.

The proposal, which included a new village hall, went against the council's planning officers' recommendation. A decision has been deferred until next month.

Villagers strongly oppose the development, claiming Lamplugh does not have enough local services and the housing plan would harm the Lake District, cause flooding issues and have a negative impact on road safety.

They also reject the need for a new village hall as the current hall's committee has just secured lottery funding for a new building.

But applicant Swift Homes said the application was "in the best interests of the local community and Copeland as a whole" and would provide "high quality" housing.

Coun John Dirom said he was worried Copeland Council's lack of a specific housing policy had lead to "open season" on development.

"In the last year every development has been passed, if we had a five year (land) supply this application wouldn't be here," he said. "As far as I'm concerned it is open season."

While Coun Joan Hully said the benefits wouldn't "outweigh" the potential harm to the village and Coun Andy Pratt had a number of worries, including on the environment.

Six villagers - Roger Braithwaite, David Lawrence, Paul Twyford, Dr Nigel Roberts, Dr Quentin Kingsbury and Sandy Roberts - addressed the councillors during a two-hour discussion.

Mr Braithwaite, vice-chairman of Lamplugh Parish Council, said: "The parish council strongly objects and advise refusal for this scheme.

"The proposal is complex, lacks some clarity and justification. It's difficult for laymen to understand how Copeland Council has reached its conclusions."

Parish councillor Mr Lawrence said: "The report has given insufficient weight to the impact of the development on the Lake District National Park."

"It is clearly acknowledged that the application would have a detrimental impact on a World Heritage site."

However, Nic Folland, a landscape architect at Barnes Walker Ltd, who was working on behalf of Swift Homes, said any adverse impact would be "localised to the site and the immediate surroundings" and "as a result the character of the wider rural landscape" will not be affected.

Swift Homes' agent Michael Sandelands said: "This proposal represents an excellent opportunity to deliver high quality executive housing."

He said it was clear Lamplugh needed a new village hall and this development would provide "certainty" and deliver the hall "completely free of charge".

Mr Twyford, chair of Lamplugh village hall committee, said they already had a "viable, vibrant and sustainable" hall.

Nearly 40 residents had signed a petition against the development and over 80 attended a public meeting to voice their concerns.

During consultation, 93 letters were received with 70 people objecting, 21 people in support and two neutral letters.