A RENEWED effort is being made to build houses on open land on the edge of an estate.

Landowner David Hutchinson’s proposals to build up to 54 homes on land between Willowtree Avenue and Belmont Road, in Gilesgate Moor, Durham City, were thrown out by members of Durham County Council’s central and east area planning committee against the advice of their planning officers last October.

Now Mr Hutchinson, of Brancepeth, has filed a new application for outline planning permission for up to 49 homes.

The new estate would include up to 39 three-bedroom houses and ten one-bedroom flats.

October’s meeting heard developers had been refused permission to build on the site, on the edge of the large High Grange Estate, four times since 1973 and there had also been two failed appeals.

But Jill Davis, of the Darlington-based Davis Planning Partnership – speaking for Mr Hutchinson, said the 3.5-acre plot lay within the development limits of the Durham City Local Plan and represented an infill site.

The new planning application was submitted shortly before Christmas. Further details can be found via the online planning portal at durham.gov.uk, using the reference CE/13/01651/OUT.

Members of the public have until Thursday, January 30, to make comments.