PLANNING officers are recommending that a housing development on the site of a former dairy be granted planning permission.

Gentoo Homes has applied for permission to build 29 homes on the land just off the busy A690 commuter route at Stonebridge in Durham City.

The company plans to build a mixture of two, three and four bed houses on the one hectare site, along with a total of 59 parking spaces.

Until its closure in 2006, the site was home to Express Dairies and has stood vacant since the dairy buildings were cleared six years ago.

Seven neighbours and the City of Durham Trust have all raised concerns about the proposed development, mainly on traffic grounds.

Residents fear the development could add to the pressure on already busy local roads.

Although the site lies inside Durham City’s Green Belt, it has been identified for potential residential development in the draft Local Plan.

Members of Durham County Council’s area planning committee are due to vote on the application when they meet at County Hall on Tuesday.