Partners combine on 240-acre Copelaw masterplan

The Church Commissioners for England and Durham County Council have submitted proposals for up to 1,435 homes east of Newton Aycliffe, along with local centre facilities and a primary school.

Identified as a strategic housing site in the County Durham Plan, the Copelaw scheme would, if approved, feature a series of interlinked neighbourhoods set out around a central spine road. This would connect to sustainable transport options including walking and cycling routes and a bus route feeding into the local network. Around 30 acres of open space are included.

The plans have now ben validated on DCC’s planning portal, and can be viewed with the reference number DM/24/01978/OUT. The project is described as intended for land to the south of the North East Centre for Autism at Cedar Drive.

Stantec is supporting the project as planning advisor, with Pod as architect. The professional team advising CCE and Durham’s major projects team also includes Pell Frischmann, Delta Simons, BSG, Arable Advisors, Dunelm Geotechnical, Elliott Consultancy and Southern Green.

As an organisation, the Church Commissioners for England could be a key player in the new government’s drive to increase housing completions. Its strategic land portfolio has the capacity to deliver around 30,000 homes, around 9,000 of which were subject to live planning applications in 2023.

Recent planning permissions include a 1,000-home community in Lincolnshire and the first phase of a 650-home community in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The CCE, which has national assets of £1bn, 23,000 acres and 983 buildings, will own the site jointly with the local authority.

“Our plans for the Newton Aycliffe scheme would provide high-quality, sustainable housing that meets the needs and aspirations of residents,” said Matt Naylor, team lead – strategic land at the CCE.

“Importantly, it features extensive social, environmental and transport infrastructure, including a local primary school, green open space, elderly care provision, and shops and services to create a thriving, well-connected community.”

In line with Local Plan requirements, the plans include 15% affordable housing provision, with later living accounted for through up to 92 extra care apartments, these coming in addition to the 1,435 homes.

The local centre is earmarked for the site’s northern entry point, providing shops and services as well as some local employment.

Sustainability enhancements would include the creation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS), policy-compliant levels of biodiversity net gain (BNG), and homes delivered in line with the Future Homes Standard.

There is no planning history of note attached to the site, which lies directly to the east of the A167. Newton Aycliffe, roughly halfway between Bishop Auckland and Darlington, is classed as a ‘large town’ in the County Durham Plan. The town centre is around 750m away.

The plan is for the school to have 210 places, plus a nursery accommodating 26 children. The local centre facilities would amount to 14,000 sq ft.

Planning documentation is low on specifics, due to the application only being outline at this stage, but the design & access statement filed does reveal that six character areas are planned, with names perhaps hinting at their likely make-up: Northern Woodlands, Village Heart, Neighbourhood Core, Linear Landscape, Rural Edge and Hamlets.

Six character areas are envisaged. Credit: planning documents