®Planning appeal decision
Former Leamside Equestrian Centre, Pithouse Lane, Leamside, DH4 6QJ
Planning appeal 3335663 at Former Leamside Equestrian Centre, Pithouse Lane, Leamside, DH4 6QJ (Durham County Council) was dismissed on 14 May 2024 by Inspector Heywood S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant policies of the County Durham Plan 2020 and the National Planning Policy Framework.
engineering operations to create a football centre incorporating the creation of 20no grass pitches (Use Class F2), demolition of exist ing stable block, creation of new building to provide changing facilities, creation of car parking and widening of existing access track
- Authority
- Durham County Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Heywood S
- Postcode
- DH4 6QJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant policies of the County Durham Plan 2020 and the National Planning Policy Framework
- Whether the location of the development would be in accordance with local and national policy aimed at directing development to the most sustainable locations
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the proposal
What decided it
The substantial harm to Green Belt openness and inappropriateness of the development, combined with the location's poor sustainability credentials, are not clearly outweighed by the sporting and social benefits, as the Government attaches great importance to Green Belts and a very high bar must be reached for inappropriate development to be allowed.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 20Policy 10pPolicy 21Policy 29
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 142Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 89Paragraph 108
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 2024
- Allowed10 September 2026600635255 Bradford Crescent, Gilesgate, Durham, DH1 1HL
- Dismissed11 August 20266006359The Copse, Foxes Row, Brancepeth, DH7 8DH
- Allowed11 May 20266002307Applegarth, New Road, Crook, Durham, DL15 8NB
- Allowed7 May 20263376424Former Hallgarth Care Home, Hallgarth Street, Durham, County Durham, DH1 3AY
- Dismissed6 May 2026600330053 Frank Street, Gilesgate Moor, Durham, DH1 2JF
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.