The Area Planning Committee (North) of Durham County Council met on Thursday 25 June 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was a proposal for a new 152-bedroom hotel at Durham County Cricket Club.

New Hotel at Durham County Cricket Club

The committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new 152-bedroom, four-star hotel at Durham County Cricket Club, Riverside, Chester-le-Street. The proposed development, submitted on behalf of Durham County Cricket Club, included a bar and restaurant area, meeting spaces, and a small club shop. The report pack indicated that the development was intended to bring investment into the club and enhance its financial competitiveness nationally by providing an additional income stream.

The report pack detailed that the hotel would be six storeys high, measuring 20 metres in height, and would feature a permanent tiered seating terrace overlooking the cricket pitch. It was noted that the site is located within Flood Zones 2 and 3, and the proposal included flood risk mitigation measures. The application had received 24 objections, primarily concerning parking issues, and three letters of support.

Officers' reports indicated that the principle of a new hotel in this location was supported, with Visit County Durham advising that the proposal would help address an identified need for overnight visitor accommodation in County Durham. The report also highlighted that the site benefits from an extant outline planning consent for a 149-bed hotel granted in March 2010, establishing the principle of a hotel at this location.

However, concerns were raised regarding the potential impact on the landscape and heritage assets, including the Grade I listed Lumley Castle. The Design and Conservation Section advised that the impact on the setting of designated heritage assets should be considered at the lower end of 'less than substantial harm'. The report suggested that a reduction in the hotel's height by one storey could reduce its overall impact. The applicant, in response, provided a letter from Hilton Hotels, expressing that a reduction in the number of bedrooms would put the hotel at a competitive disadvantage.

The report pack also addressed concerns about highway safety and parking, with the Highways Authority raising no objection. Issues of residential amenity were considered, particularly in relation to two bungalows owned by the Cricket Club and managed by them, which were noted to be in close proximity to the proposed hotel. The report suggested that due to the Cricket Club's control over these properties and their tenants, the identified impacts would not lead to the proposal being unacceptable.

The report recommended that the application be approved, subject to a range of conditions covering aspects such as time limits, approved plans, ecology, drainage, highways, construction management, working hours, noise, landscaping, tree protection, non-designated heritage assets, broadband, and BREEAM ratings.

The meeting was also scheduled to address standard procedural items, including apologies for absence, substitute members, and the minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 April 2026.