CHANGES which suggest an increase in housing need of around 700 properties per year merit the preparation of a new planning framework.
That is the message to Durham County Council’s Cabinet in a report next week on a review of the authority’s County Durham Plan. The meeting on Wednesday 15 October will hear that the review considered national changes to how local housing need is calculated, as a result of which figures for the local authority will increase significantly.
A report to councillors outlines how, prior to the changes, the local housing need for the authority area was 1,308 dwellings per year. Under a new methodology, the figure for the area increased to 2,011 per year. Cabinet will hear that, in light of this, the council was right to commence the preparation of a new local plan in March of this year.
Cllr Joe Quinn, the authority’s Cabinet member for planning, investments and assets, said: “We are pleased to have conducted a very thorough review of the County Durham Plan in line with national advice to do so every five years.
“This has shown some really positive results, such as a good track record of delivering new housing; similar progress delivering employment sites; and a strong and improved performance at planning appeal. Overall, we feel the existing County Durham Plan is in a good place; largely in line with national policy; and that it will continue to be effective in delivering its visions and aims.
“However, we are mindful of changes to national policy, including how local housing need is calculated and, therefore we feel it is right to seek to continue work on an updated County Durham Plan.”
The current County Durham Plan sets out the local planning framework for the council area. The plan sets out a long-term vision and framework for future development in the county and comprises strategic policies, which address the priorities for an area; and non-strategic planning policies, which deal with more detailed matters.
The National Planning Policy Framework states that policies in local plans should be reviewed to assess whether they need updating, at least once every five years. It is in accordance with this guidance that the County Durham Plan has been reviewed. In addition to local housing need, the review also looked at:
- Housing delivery test performance, with the council’s result of 150 per cent exceeding the national target of 95 per cent. This is a calculation of the number of net homes delivered against the number of properties required, over a rolling three-year period.
- Five-year housing land supply performance, with the council area currently having 6.14 years of deliverable housing land supply.
- Appeals performance, with 84.4 percent of appeals dismissed in 2024/25 – an increase from 74.1 in 2023/24, and in line with the two years before.
- Housing allocations, with the current version of the plan, including 43 sites, with three of these in Durham City complete and delivering 86 dwellings. Among other completed sites are one at Bishop Auckland, which has delivered 75. There has been progress at other sites, including outline approval for 1,918 homes at Sniperley Park, with detailed consent for 368 properties; while construction is well underway on 470 houses at Sherburn Road in Durham.
- Employment land allocations, with outline permission in place for 38,468 square metres at key strategic employment sites in Durham City, including Aykley Heads. Of that, 2,985 sqm has been progressed with the development of office accommodation for the local authority at Corten House and a data centre recently granted approval on Plot D of the masterplan for the site for Durham University.
