Plans to build a new housing estate in Dundonald won approval from councillors.

A proposal was lodged to erect 63 affordable homes in a village field, which is the first phase of a 250 property development.

The Irvine Housing Association homes would be a mixture of, terraced, semis and detached properties spanning one or two storeys in height.

Hope Homes and The Wee House Company have been granted planning permission in principle for the social housing.

Councillors approved a raft of condition details relating to the application at a South Ayrshire Council Regulatory panel meeting last month.

There have been five objections raising concerns about traffic, flooding the impact on wildlife among others.

A total of 187 private homes are to built later on in addition to the affordable homes.

The social housing up for rent will include 16 one-bedroom flats, 19 two- bedroom houses, 10 two-bedroom amenity bungalows, 16 three-bedroom houses and two with fou- bedrooms.

They will be made available to people on the social housing waiting list and will be located at the northern part of the site.

The Wee House Company Ltd plan to manufacture the houses at its  Caponacre Industrial Park factory in in Cumnock.

In an objection Dundonald resident Deborah Irving said: “A further increase in traffic from (the) proposed development would make an already inaccessible Main Street and parking further problematic.

“The proposed roundabout on Kilmarnock Road would be near the bend of a road on an incline coming into and a decline leaving the village so making it particularly dangerous.”

Objector Peter Easton is worried about drainage after his home was flooded twice.

His comment said: “I struggle to see how the village would cope if new houses were built on either side of the B750 road. The drainage system on Kilmarnock Road is very poor and any additional connections will surely make flood areas worse with more houses being built.”

But councillors agreed that a council director  be given the power to approve the application as long as certain criteria and conditions are met.

Minutes from the council panel held online said: “The siting and design of the development hereby approved is considered to accord with the provisions of the development plan and there is no significant adverse impact on the amenity of neighbouring land and buildings.”

The public and the press were not allowed access to the meeting.