PLANS have been submitted to build up to 30 homes on the outskirts of Trimdon Village, near Sedgefield.

Alan Etherington, of DA Farming Limited in Todhills, near Bishop Auckland, is seeking outline planning permission to build houses on land to the south of Broadway Avenue and the west of Salter’s Lane.

The land is outside the settlement area and a previous application relating to a wider site was withdrawn.

However, Mr Etherington’s agent, Dr Anton Lang said the proposals would not create an urban sprawl.

In the design and access statement, he stated: “This application site is, of course, directly adjoining what is classed as the settlement of Trimdon and would become part of it, as, it to the north and opposite there is a line of built form anyway – it would not tangibly ‘expand’ the settlement at a furthest limb, just alongside existing houses.”

He continued: “Quite simply, this is not the ‘open countryside’ with nothing around it, is an edge of settlement site, opposite and below existing houses and residential streets.

“It is not that far from the village core.”

Members of the public have until Wednesday, April 23, to comment on the application, which can be found by searching for DM/14/00678/OUT online at durham.gov.uk