The Smiths Arms (Public House), Castle Dene, Chester Le Street, County Durham, DH3 4HE

Planning appeal 3275539 at The Smiths Arms (Public House), Castle Dene, Chester Le Street, County Durham, DH3 4HE (Durham County Council) was dismissed on 15 September 2021 by Inspector Wilkinson F, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the quality of life of the local community and whether or not there is sufficient evidence to justify the loss of the public house.

Conversion of existing pub into a single residential unit, with associated landscaping, demolition of outbuildings, construction of new workshop and garage

Authority: Durham County Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Wilkinson F
Postcode: DH3 4HE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the quality of life of the local community and whether or not there is sufficient evidence to justify the loss of the public house

What decided it

The absence of clear and convincing evidence that the pub is unviable, combined with strong evidence of community value, meant the loss of this valued community facility could not be justified and conflicted with development plan policies and the Framework.

The benefits of providing one residential unit and making effective use of land did not outweigh the significant harm to the quality of life of the local community from the loss of a valued pub facility

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy 9Policy 10
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 149Paragraph 84Paragraph 93Paragraph 11

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.

Appeals plan, £15 a month

With an account

What an account adds to this decision

4 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision

An appeal decision in the app, with the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out beside the letter — Every letter, there to read. We pick out the main issues, the policies and the judgments cited, so you can work through the letter faster.

Searching the full text of appeal decision letters in the app — Search inside every letter. By words or by meaning, filtered by authority, outcome, appeal type and procedure, with every locatable decision on the map and the Inspector named on each.

Start your free trial

More decisions in Durham County Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2021

Dismissed2 September 20253365434
Land South East of School House, Bank Foot, Shincliffe, Durham, DH1 2PD
Dismissed28 March 20253353610
Land to the South of Greenways Court, Greenways, Delves Lane, Consett, DH8 7DH
Dismissed10 June 20243330487
Site of Former Olivers Garden Centre, Holmhill Lane, Chester Moor, Chester Le Street, DH2 3RQ
Allowed3 June 20243333600
Land North and East of Sniperley Farm, Durham, County Durham
Allowed3 June 20243331801
Sniperley Farm Buildings, Durham

The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.