County Durham Green Party is celebrating success following today’s release of the Inspector’s Interim Report on the ‘soundness of the County Durham Plan’, having played a central role along with other Durham groups in raising concerns with the plan.
The Green Party, along with numerous other Durham based organisations and community groups, spent many months presenting evidence at the examination in public of the County Durham Plan last year.
- Greens questioned the reality of the councils aspirations for inward migration and the consequent need for 5000+ new houses within the City Green Belt
- Alongside the Friends of Durham Green Belt, Greens proposed a moderate growth option that incentivised development of brownfield and previously developed land
- Alongside the Friends of Durham Green Belt, Greens questioned the need for relief roads when numerous studies have shown that investment in a sustainable transport infrastructure is more likely to reduce traffic a peak times in the day
- Alongside numerous other City based community groups greens challenged the Council’s lack of any realistic policy to halt the conversion of houses into student only accommodation
Harold Stephens, the Development Plan Inspector has found the County Durham Plan to be ‘unsound’ in all of these areas and has advised that it be withdrawn.
“Greens have put considerable effort into challenging the unsustainable County Durham Plan at its public examination and I’m delighted that the Inspector agreed with our position. Hopefully, we can now move forward with the preparation of a new plan that respects the environment and heritage of the County and provides for the real housing, transport and economic needs of people across Durham”
– Jonathan Elmer, Green Party Candidate for the Constituency of Durham City