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Allowed18 November 20253370478

Land in the West of Thinford Park, Thinford, Spennymoor, DH6 5JQ

Planning appeal 3370478 at Land in the West of Thinford Park, Thinford, Spennymoor, DH6 5JQ (Durham County Council) was allowed on 18 November 2025 by Inspector Lancaster K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the vitality and viability of Spennymoor Town Centre.

Erection of 6 retail units (Use Class E and Sui Generis) including one ancillary drive through and associated infrastructure and landscaping

Authority
Durham County Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
retail · Other minor developments
Inspector
Lancaster K
Postcode
DH6 5JQ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposed development on the vitality and viability of Spennymoor Town Centre

What decided it

The significant weight afforded to the fallback position of the extant implemented planning permission for a substantially similar scheme outweighed the moderate weight of the sequential test conflict.

The conflict with Policy 9 of the development plan (moderate weight) was outweighed by the significant weight of the fallback position and the absence of material increase in town centre floorspace, justifying determination contrary to the development plan

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy 9 of the County Durham PlanPolicy 21 of the County Durham Plan
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 92

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 applied

The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.