PLANNING permission has been granted for a new development of 81 homes in a village.

The Durham Villages Regeneration Company, a partnership between Durham County Council and housing developers Keepmoat, was today (Tuesday, October 21) given the go-ahead to build the new estate in Sherburn Hill, near Durham.

Members of Durham County Council’s Central and East Area Planning Committee heard that the development would include a mix of two, three and four bedroom houses, with the majority for sale and five available for rent.

The 3.2-hectare site is bordered by Local Avenue and Front Street and includes plans to develop a “village square” as well as relocate a play area, an existing bus stop and pedestrian crossing.

Five residents wrote to the committee to oppose the scheme, with objections centring on traffic issues, loss of views and the ability of schools and medical services to cope with the growing population.

Andrew Lawson, a resident of Local Avenue, told councillors: “The street is already heavily used for parking and I believe that negotiating your way around the area can be very tricky – I really don’t think that this road layout as it is proposed is sufficient for the volume of traffic.”

Councillors voted by eight votes to zero to grant conditional planning permission.

Construction of homes is expected to start early next year.