Dear Editor,
With reference to Issue 182 of Spennymoor News and the subject of a proposal from Banks developers to build up to 350 homes off York Hill Road.
It was disappointing, though not entirely unexpected to read yet again, that planning officers at Durham County Council are set to approve the proposal. Perhaps they would like to explain to the people of Spennymoor why they are choosing to do so? Their glib answer as always is one of “demand” and yet in the same breath they openly admit that the area falls outside of the County Durham Plan. A plan produced at great expense to rate payers, which underwent a full public enquiry led by the Government Chief planning officer, that was aimed at protecting green spaces, farming land and ensuring that small communities were protected from ending up as part of one larger urban sprawl?
In the case of the Gleeson homes on Durham Road at Middlestone Moor, the county council refused them planning permission on the very basis that the area fell outside of land already identified within the County Durham Plan for development. Gleeson went to the High Court and the planning decision was overturned. So one of two things is happening here. Either the County Durham Plan has been a complete waste of time and public money or, planning officers are quite simply not doing their job?
Of course we are bound to have thrown back at us, the Governments massive drive to build and the pressure local councils find themselves under to approve, but that leaves us all who live in the town to have to put up with the fall out.
In the past decade 2,500 homes will have either been completed already or are in the throws of being built and yet, with the exception of one new junior/infant school, not a single penny has been invested on creating or expanding infrastructure to cater for the influx.
I openly welcome anyone who is a long time resident to contradict me when I say that their quality of life and community has not been adversely affected by this uncontrolled expansion?
It seems to me it will never end.
Yours sincerely,
Mr P Laidler, by email.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
