An application to turn a 400-year-old �Islington pump house into flats has been halted �after council planners failed to notice there was an agreement to keep it for a heritage centre.

The pump house, a Grade II listed building between Rosebury Avenue and Amwell Street, is the historic end of the new river, built by Hugh Myddelton to bring fresh water into London.

In 1997 Thames Water, which owned the building, agreed to donate �50,000 for it to be turned into a heritage centre, as long as it was done before 2005. In 2010 they sold it to developers with no objection from the council.

Turnhold, who bought the building, applied for permission to turn it into flats and offices and the council was set to agree, until complaints from residents caused Tuesday’s council planning meeting to be cancelled.

Councillor Paul Convery, Islington Council’s executive member for planning, regeneration and transport, said: “Our planners did not delve to deep into the vaults, and assessed it as an application on its own merits. We slammed on the brakes and stopped the meeting while the report undergoes further �investigation.”

A spokesman for Thames Water said: “This site has been the subject of various plans for a long time and we very much hope that the right solution which keeps all parties happy can be found.”