Members of High Peak Borough Council's development control committee gave the green light to the scheme, which will see the construction of 14 houses on the former Buxton Youth Hostel site, on Monday.

The plans, for Sherbrook Lodge on Harpur Hill Road, were highly commended by the committee and will also see the creation of a new access road from the site onto Harpur Hill Road. Councillors also agreed to accept a sum of around £49,000 from the developers, Amos Developments Ltd, in lieu of them providing affordable housing within the site.

Planning permission for nine flats on the site was granted in March 2005 and is still in force, the meeting heard, but the developers who initially started the project have since left the site.

Adrian Fisher, the council's head of planning and development, told the meeting: "The proposal now before us is quite different in that it is now looking at developing houses rather than flats.

"The site for 14 units does come under the threshold required by policy H9 of the local plan. This then comes under the remit of needing affordable housing.

"We have had discussions with the applicant and they have come forward with the offer of a commuted sum. The commuted sum of £49,000 is equivalent to one affordable house."

Cllr David Mellor said: "I welcome this scheme to tidy up an eyesore that has been there for a good while and has been to this committee umpteen times."

Cllr Linda Leather said: "I think it is commendable."

The plans were approved subject to the developers meeting 20 conditions.