Pre-app submitted for Derwent View site

Project Genesis’s latest phase of redevelopment at the former Consett steelworks focuses on land earmarked for a hospital, 206 homes, landscaping, access, and infrastructure works.

The hospital, which received full planning permission in July after a previous 2018 consent had expired, will replace the current Shotley Bridge Hospital.

This pre-application looks to safeguard that land and add the housing and landscaping around the hospital, with 80 homes providing supported accommodation for the elderly.

Located next to Consett town centre, Derwent View has access to transport, amenities, and walking and cycling links, ad already has outline permission for a mixed-use development.

Project Genesis is hoping to submit a full planning application for the site to Durham Council by the end of this year.

So far, the Project Genesis masterplan has delivered more than £250m of development since 1994.

Mike Clark, development director at Project Genesis, said: “This is a key step forward for Derwent View and for Consett. Our plans will deliver high-quality homes and much-needed assisted living accommodation, while ensuring the hospital site is fully safeguarded and supported by the right infrastructure.

“The new hospital to replace the aging Shotley Bridge Hospital, is fundamental to the long-term health and wellbeing of the area, and our priority is to ensure it is delivered as part of a cohesive, well-designed development that benefits the whole community.”

A representative from County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust, which operates the Shotley Bridge hospital, said: “We are mobilising the Shotley Bridge Community Hospital Redevelopment team with an aim to provide a purpose-built community healthcare facility in Consett over the next five years.”