Site of the Former St Peter's School, Main Road, Gainford, DL2 3BQ

Residential Development of 37 units with associated access and landscaping

Authority: Durham County Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Robbie G

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for development of the nature proposed
The effect of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the surrounding area and whether it amounts to good design
The effect of the proposed development upon the living conditions of future occupiers of plots 16-19 and 22 of the proposed development, with particular regard to outlook and noise and disturbance

What decided it

The existence of an extant permission for residential development on the appeal site and adjoining land, combined with the site's good relationship to the settlement and the absence of material harm to character, appearance or living conditions, justified allowing the appeal.

the benefits of residential development on a previously developed site with an extant permission, the provision of 10 affordable housing units exceeding policy requirements, and enhanced public access and landscaping benefits outweighed the concerns about backland development and the temporary visual impact of the undeveloped adjoining 'Ruttle' site

Framework references: 11, 55, 57

Plan policies cited: CDP Policy 1, CDP Policy 6, CDP Policy 10, CDP Policy 15, CDP Policy 26, CDP Policy 29, CDP Policy 31, CDP Policy 40, CDP Policy 44

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.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.