Residents have attacked a decision to grant planning permission to build 21 new homes between two schools.

They said it was a "travesty" to allow the demolition of 75 and 77 Northcourt Road, in Abingdon, to make way for the development.

At a planning meeting, 13 people, both councillors and residents, objected to the scheme.

The row has divided Liberal Democrats, the ruling group on the Vale of White Horse District Council, whose development control committee approved the plans by nine votes to seven.

The owners of the two properties, Michael Chown and Michael Watts, can now demolish their houses and build new houses and flats on the site.

Both councillors and residents have expressed their concerns about extra traffic the development might generate, particularly when parents were waiting in their cars to pick up children from school.

Gareth Williams, next door neighbour to Mr Watts, said: "No county highway engineer was present to speak about the critical issue of road safety immediately adjacent to the two Dunmore schools.

"The planning officer presented the case with supportive photographs devoid of vehicles and pedestrians. Traffic was one of the key elements of our objection."

Another objector added: "There was so much opposition at the planning meeting, yet the development was allowed by a narrow margin. We cannot believe it was passed. Even a move to defer the issue was defeated. We are all deeply disappointed, but there is no avenue of appeal open to us."

The leader of the council, Jerry Patterson, said: "The council took the advice of the highways department, which has expertise in this field and no objections were raised. We have to take the advice of experts and cannot refuse the application."

Development control committee chairman Terry Quinlan said council officers had made a recommendation with a knowledge of the facts. They were aware of the volume of traffic along the road.

Surveys showed that it is used by about 5,000 vehicles a day. The proposed net increase of 19 dwellings is expected to generate 150 movements a day, an increase of only three per cent.

Mr Quinlan said: "Another important factor was that had permission been refused the applicants would have appealed and would have had the support of the highways department in their case."