Planning appeal decision
Site of the Former St Peters School, Main Road, Gainford, DL2 3BQ
Planning appeal 3324172 at Site of the Former St Peters School, Main Road, Gainford, DL2 3BQ (Durham County Council) was allowed on 11 December 2023 by Inspector Lancaster K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the condition is reasonable and necessary to improve the appearance of the site and safeguard against vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Demolition of fire-damaged building
- Authority
- Durham County Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- other · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Lancaster K
- Postcode
- DL2 3BQ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the condition is reasonable and necessary to improve the appearance of the site and safeguard against vandalism and anti-social behaviour
- If not, whether in its absence the less than substantial harm to the significance of the Gainford Conservation Area would be outweighed by the public benefits
What decided it
Condition 3 alone would secure the necessary visual improvements and deter vandalism, making condition 4 unreasonable and unnecessary.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 10Policy 29Policy 39Policy 44
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 193Paragraph 202
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
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.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Durham County Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
- Dismissed22 October 20266007418Land to the West of St Michael's Rise, Hawthorn, SR7 8BY
- Allowed25 September 20266003865The Boathouse Inn, Elvet Bridge, Durham, DH1 3AF
- Dismissed16 September 202660059693 Roosevelt Road, Durham, DH1 1PS
- Dismissed16 September 20266004850119 Bradford Crescent, Durham, DH1 1HW
- Dismissed16 September 2026600449449 Annand Road, Durham, DH1 1PW
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.
®