At a meeting of the County Planning Committee, councillors debated plans for 81 new homes and a convenience store in Hawthorne, ultimately voting to refuse the application, and deferred a decision on 137 new dwellings in Wheatley Hill to seek further information on education contributions. Councillors approved applications for a retail warehouse in Dragonville and a replacement school in Framwellgate Moor.

Hawthorne Housing Development Refused

Councillors refused an application for the erection of 81 homes and a convenience store on land to the west of St Michael's Rise, Hawthorne ¹. The committee voted against the plans despite a letter of support from Graham Morris MP.

The planning officer, Louise Oliver, Senior Planning Officer, told the committee that updates had been submitted relating to drainage, landscape, archaeology and affordable housing. She said that while archaeological work was complete and the affordable housing plan was appropriate, drainage details were still missing and landscape changes were minor.

Hawthorne Parish Council objected to the application, with Councillor Barry Curran telling the committee that the village is not identified in the Durham Council's local plan for development, and that the development would lead to increased traffic, noise and pollution. He said that Hawthorne is the only historic village in east Durham, dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and quoted from the officer's report, saying it was the best example of a village and its surrounding farmland, with medieval field systems.

Arthur and Elaine Hazelrig, who live in a house that would be directly affected by the development, also spoke against the plans. Mrs Hazelrig said that the site was not flat, but had a hill, and that people would be able to see straight into her garden. She added that when she had put a small extension on her house, the planning officer had ensured that it did not impact on her neighbours, and asked for the same amount of fairness. She also said that when she had asked Belway, the applicant, about drainage, they had said that it was not their problem. She criticised Graham Morris MP for not consulting with any member of Hawthorne Village.

The committee then debated the application. Councillors raised concerns about the scale of the development, the impact on the village character, the pressure on existing infrastructure, traffic and road safety issues, and flooding.

The committee voted to refuse the application, with Councillor Jillian Campbell, Chair of the County Planning Committee, saying that she had been struck by the site and its unique quality, which would be difficult to mitigate.

The reasons for refusal were that the development would result in an adverse impact on the character of the local landscape and setting of the settlement of Coundon, contrary to policies 6, 10, 29 and 39 of the County Durham Plan² and paragraphs 135 and 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework³ which was not outweighed by the benefits of the development.

Wheatley Hill Housing Application Deferred

Councillors deferred a decision on an application for the erection of 137 dwellings and associated infrastructure on land to the north west of Quilstyle Road, Wheatley Hill.

The senior planning officer told the committee that a legal agreement to secure the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) monitoring fee was to be included, and that a late objection had been received from Councillor Craggs regarding highway safety and the capacity of local schools, GP surgeries and dentists.

Councillor Craggs' statement was read to the committee, raising concerns that the development did not adequately address education provision, traffic impact, site access and community services. He said that local schools in Wheatley Hill were facing serious pressures due to overcapacity, and that local NHS services were under significant strain. He also raised concerns about traffic congestion and road safety.

Local residents also addressed the committee to object to the application, raising concerns about the lack of places at the school, GP and dentist surgeries, and about traffic and parking issues.

The senior planning officer responded to the issues raised by objectors, saying that the School Places Officer had confirmed that there was capacity at Thornley Primary School and St Godric's Primary School, and that financial contributions were being secured for Wellfield School and towards SEND⁴. He also said that he had discussed the scheme with Durham Constabulary, who had raised no objection.

Councillors debated the application, raising concerns about the pricing mechanism for affordable homes, the A181 junction, and parking on site.

The committee voted to defer the application for further information to be provided on what could be sought and delivered through Section 106 contributions⁵ for education.

Dragonville Retail Park Application Approved

Councillors approved an application for the erection of one retail warehouse for up to three units on land to the east of Unit 7, Dragonville Retail Park, Dragon Lane, Durham.

The senior planning officer told the committee that a legal agreement was not required to secure BNG, as the proposed habitats were not significant in scale or in nature.

Mr A Fox addressed the committee on behalf of the applicant, saying that the application related to a prominent site which had long been identified as suitable for large format retailing, and that the proposal would facilitate the retention and upsizing of Aldi, which was a key local retailer.

Councillor Mark Wilkes highlighted the poor state of the site and his relief at the proposals. He queried the point at which any further out of town development would be unacceptable due to the impact on the city centre.

The committee voted to approve the application.

Framwellgate School Replacement Approved

Councillors approved an application for the demolition of existing school buildings and development of a replacement school, along with car parking, hard and soft landscaping, playing pitches and access arrangements at Framwellgate School, Finchale Road, Framwellgate Moor, Durham.

The senior planning officer told the committee that Sport England had requested that a condition be changed to ensure the quality of pitches is satisfactory and they are available for use within a reasonable timescale, and that Paragraph 110 of the report should have referred to the streets being affected by on-street parking issues as Newton Drive, Carside and Aykley Road.

Mr R Dibdon and Mr M Hill were in attendance to answer questions on behalf of the applicant. Councillor Mark Wilkes confirmed that the site was within his ward and he had been asking for a new school for two decades. He queried whether more people were predicted to access the school from different entrances and whether there were any concerns about Newton Hall junction.

The committee voted to approve the application.