Durham refuses £21m Coundon housing scheme
Despite being recommended for approval, Partner Construction’s plans for 156 homes on Westerton Road in Bishop Auckland have been rejected due to heritage concerns.
The houses were to be built on a 26-acre patch of field that has a steep slope. This hill is visible for miles and is an example, according to some residents’ complaints, of medieval strip farming.
It was argued that building on or near the slope would destroy the open countryside around the village and would harm the history and identity of the place.
As was pointed out during the meeting, the village’s name itself is thought to derive from the old English word ‘cunadun’, meaning ‘cows’ hill’.
FPCR Environment and Design led on the landscaping design and concluded the housing should stay on the lower slopes of the land, however this wasn’t enough to convince councillors that the development would not negatively impact the village’s heritage.
The project team also included planning consultant Lichfields and architect Ergo Projects.
Yesterday, the Reform-led council sided with the 532 objections that had been lodged against the scheme, with Liberal Democrat cllr Mark Wilkes noting: “Other parts of this area are crying out for development and improvement first.
“Right now, the landscape harm that we have here is just way too much.”
