A HOUSING scheme at Milford-on-Sea has been thrown out after furious objectors claimed it would further "disfigure" the cliffs.

Emlor Homes had applied for planning permission to demolish a seafront house at Westminster Road and replace it with a block of six flats.

The house is next door to the controversial Camden Hurst - a huge block of flats that overlooks part of Hordle Cliff.

Emlor's application resulted in 12 letters of objection from residents angry at the prospect of more flats springing up along the coastline.

Members of the district council's development control sub-committee were addressed by Col Douglas Hutchinson, a former member of Milford Parish Council.

He said: "Camden Hurst is enormous - four storeys high and 100 metres long.

"Milford residents say we have two cliffs - one natural and the other a large phalanx of flats. We don't want to see any further disfigurement of the coastline."

The sub-committee was also addressed by Major Chris Beeton, vice-chairman of the parish council and a former district councillor for the area.

He said: "High density flats on the seafront have given the area an intensely built-up form that's alien to the rest of Milford."

Emlor's application was rejected by 15 votes to one.

Milford councillor Timothy Droogleever said the two-storey block was only three feet shorter than an earlier scheme that had been rejected in July.

Becton's Paul Woods said: "Some of the buildings on the cliffs are an eyesore.

"We can't do anything about the flats that are already there - but at least we can put a stop to any more development."

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