®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Evenwood Lane, Evenwood Gate, Bishop Auckland, DL14 9ND
Planning appeal 3361193 at Land South of Evenwood Lane, Evenwood Gate, Bishop Auckland, DL14 9ND (Durham County Council) was dismissed on 30 June 2025 by Inspector Storey P, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development would be suitably located, having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan, and access to day-to-day services and sustainable transport.
the construction of 10 semi detached two bed bungalows, to be built for a social housing provider
- Authority
- Durham County Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Storey P
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development would be suitably located, having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan, and access to day-to-day services and sustainable transport
- the effect of the proposed development on biodiversity, including protected species
What decided it
The proposal's failure to demonstrate that future residents would not be heavily reliant on private vehicles to access day-to-day services, combined with the absence of baseline ecological survey data to confirm that biodiversity harm could be avoided, meant that the benefits of housing delivery could not outweigh the conflicts with the development plan's spatial strategy and environmental protection policies.
The benefits of 10 dwellings and affordable housing for vulnerable residents and ex-service personnel were outweighed by the harms arising from conflict with the development plan's policies directing development to sustainable locations and protecting biodiversity, such that the adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 6(f)Policy 10(p)Policy 21Policy 11Policy 41Policy 43
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 110Paragraph 193
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
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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.