®Planning appeal decision
Hownsgill Industrial Estate, Consett, Durham, DH8 7EQ
Planning appeal 3294182 at Hownsgill Industrial Estate, Consett, Durham, DH8 7EQ (Durham County Council) was dismissed on 14 December 2022 by Inspector Normington S, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Principle of development on the Hownsgill Industrial Park.
an Energy from Waste Facility. Summary of Recommendation: The appeal be allowed and planning permission be granted subject to the conditions outlined in Annex E. 1. PROCEDURAL AND BACKGROUND MATTERS 1.1 The Inquiry was in respect of an appeal against the refusal of planning permission for an Energy from Waste (EfW) Facility which has been recovered for determination by the Secretary of State by letter dated 26 May 2022. The reason given for the recovery was that the appeal involves proposals giving rise to substantial regional or national controversy. 1.2 A case management conference was held on 20 June 2022 to discuss administrative and
- Authority
- Durham County Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- minerals-waste · Major general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Normington S
- Postcode
- DE8 7EQ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Principle of development on the Hownsgill Industrial Park
- Waste disposal or recovery?
- Need for the proposed facility
- Character and appearance
- Effect on heritage assets
- Climate change
- Effect on economic development
- Alternative sites and technology
- Benefits of proposed development
What decided it
The Secretary of State's finding that the proposal would cause very significant landscape and visual harm to the character and quality of the landscape and the Area of Higher Landscape Value, resulting in conflict with Policy 39 and the development plan as a whole, which was not outweighed by the scheme's benefits.
The significant benefits of the waste facility (need and waste hierarchy benefits, energy/catalyst benefits, moderate weight biodiversity net gain and Solar Farm completion, limited weight climate change, EV charging and economic benefits) were outweighed by the very significant harm to landscape character and the AHLV, tipping the balance against the proposal and resulting in dismissal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 2Policy 29Policy 38Policy 39Policy 44Policy 47Policy 61Policy 61(a)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 56Paragraph 57Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 174Paragraph 176
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 appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.