The decision to grant planning permission for more than 300 homes at Cockermouth's Strawberry How is being investigated.

Complaints have been made to the Local Government Ombudsman about Allerdale council's handling of the planning application.

The authority has been asked to supply its comments and information to the ombudsman by Wednesday. 

The council's development panel voted in December to approve Story Homes' plans to develop the site, despite 875 letters of objection.

It agreed to grant full planning permission for 96 houses and outline permission for a further 224 homes off Strawberry How Road.

In a letter leaked to the Times & Star, an ombudsman investigator told Allerdale council it had received "multiple complaints" about the decision, which it plans to investigate collectively.

The complaints centre around the allegations that the council failed to properly consider objections to the plans and failed to follow proper process and act transparently when voting.

Four hours of discussion and debate preceded the decision at a meeting attended by about 45 people.

A vote for approval was taken following a proposal from Councillor Jim Lister, seconded by Coun Peter Bales.

The vote saw three councillors vote in favour, four against and four abstain.

A fresh motion for approval was put forward by Coun Bales, seconded by Coun Lister, and members voted in the same way.

A motion to refuse the scheme because the development would affect the character of the area, put forward by Coun Nicky Cockburn, failed to attract a seconder so no vote was taken.

It was only after a 15-minute break, during which the council's head of governance Sharon Sewell spoke to panel members, that voting changed.

Coun Bales proposed approval again, seconded by Coun Lister, and a third vote was taken, which was four-three in favour of the scheme.

The ombudsman's investigator has asked the council to supply information including why the panel chose to adjourn to take procedural advice rather than taking it in open session, and why it considered a vote for approval could be taken again when it had previously been lost.

The ombudsman would not reveal how many complaints had been received but Jim Hully, chairman of Sustainable Cockermouth, a group set up to oppose the development, said he knew of at least 20.

Mr Hully, of St Helen's Street, added: "I hope the result will be that they'll find that things were done improperly and Allerdale will have to make sure they're done properly in future.

"Over 800 people had objected. It feels that nobody has taken into account their views."

The ombudsman does not have the power to overturn the council's decision but Sustainable Cockermouth is still determined to fight against the scheme.

Mr Hully said: "We've still got detailed plans to come for the second part. We'll be ready. We haven't given up on it at all.

"We are just waiting to hear what the ombudsman says."

A council spokesman said: "The council believes that this planning application was properly considered in line with its policies and procedures, and is in the process of putting together its responses to the ombudsman's questions.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage while the investigation is ongoing."