Durham County Council politicians were asked this week to agree the way forward for the County Durham Plan, currently in limbo.
This followed the development plan’s withdrawal after a legal challenge to the planning inspector’s interim report which had found the original strategy over-ambitious and flawed.
The original plan proposed a land-use strategy designed to support 30,000 new jobs, more than 31,000 new homes, alterations to the green belt and two new bypasses.
Under this timetable the new plan, which will cover the period up to 2033, should be ready for submission by the end of 2017.
Members were warned that the council faced intervention by ministers if it couldn’t demonstrate a commitment to producing an up to date local plan. Members were also reminded the council risked losing New Homes Bonus payments.
Ethical partnership made submissions to the plan and were successful in persuading the inspector that the allocation of green belt land around Durham was not appropriate. We were also successful in supporting the sustainable extension of a number of villages. We will now be looking to make updated suggestions for how our clients interests can be taken forward. So if you have land or property in Durham please contact us to discuss how we can represent your interests in the plan.