Durham City Workmens Club & Institute Ltd, 60-63 Crossgate, DURHAM, DH1 4PR

change of use of first and second floors to create a 12- bedroom student accommodation facility with rear extension, external communal terrace, cycle parking, bin storage and associated works

Authority: Durham County Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: Francis M

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The suitability of the proposal in this location, given policies to create mixed and balanced communities
The effect of the proposal on the living conditions of nearby residents with regard to noise and disturbance and waste

What decided it

The proposal breaches Policy 16 of the County Durham Plan both as purpose-built student accommodation (lacking required university consultation) and as an HMO (exceeding the 10% student property threshold), and would cause harmful impacts on neighbouring residents' living conditions through noise, disturbance and waste.

Framework references: 130, 199

Plan policies cited: Policy 16, Policy 29, Policy 31

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

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