Developer’s vow after appeal fails (From The Advertiser Series)

Developer’s vow after appeal fails

12:28pm Thursday 28th January 2010

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A DEVELOPER’S bid to regenerate a site in Darlington with the potential to create 1,000 jobs has been dealt a fresh blow.

A planning inspector dismissed an appeal by Commercial Development Projects after its application to develop the former Torrington works was turned down.

The firm had wanted to build offices, warehousing, industrial units and storage space on the land.

The project also included a restaurant, pub and 57-bed hotel, for which conditional contracts with multi-national companies had already been signed.

Despite the decision, a spokesman for the developer vowed to persevere with the scheme.

Neil McAndrew, of CDP, said the inspector’s main reason for dismissing its appeal was design reasons – partly because of the nearby listed buildings at Cummins.

He said: “We are trying to come to terms with the decision. We will get back and talk with Darlington Borough Council in early February about resubmitting a planning application.

We are hugely disappointed.

We wanted to get onto the site and start building.”

The Torrington Engineering site, in Yarm Road, closed in 2003 and CDP, based of Elland, West Yorkshire, bought the land and cleared the site - then saw its first application rejected in January 2006.

The borough council’s planning committee rejected its second application in March last year to protect the long-term viability of a “prestige employment” site.

The independent inspector upheld the council’s decision following a fourmonth appeal and ordered the developer to pay costs.

Planning inspector KD Barton made a number of points about the impact of the plans on the town centre and traffic.

Coun Ian Haszeldine, whose ward covers the Torrington site, agreed with the verdict on the specific application, but was disappointed that no progress had been made to develop the land.

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