PLANS for a new car showroom on an edge-of-town business park have been approved, despite the concerns of two local councillors.

Mike Pulman Holdings wants to build a new Skoda dealership with a showroom, workshop, forecourt, offices and a cafe near Durham City AFC’s New Ferens Park football ground, on Belmont Business Park, Durham City.

It is said the development would create 32 new jobs and Durham County Council’s central and east planning committee unanimously voted to grant planning permission today (Tuesday, March 10).

However, Bill Moir, a Belmont councillor and committee member, said it was a “total irony” that the meeting was giving the go-ahead to another car showroom when he and his fellow Belmont councillors were constantly raising issues of congestion in the east of Durham City.

The new showroom would be the eighth in Gilesgate Moor, he said.

“It’s almost with a grudging acceptance I’ll vote for this, because there’s not very much reason to vote against,” he said.

“But transporters need to unload inside the cartilage of the site and not on the maintained road.

“There is distinct disruption in the Belmont area where car transporters unload on maintained roads.”

Cllr Patrick Conway, also a Belmont councillor and committee member, said he regularly asked the council and Highways Agency to review the traffic situation in the area.