A DERELICT hospital that has sat empty for the past decade will continue to decay after a planning application to build homes on the land has been rejected.

Gleeson Homes applied for permission to demolish the existing buildings and build 49 new houses, which was denied by Durham County Council’s Planning Committee yesterday (Thursday, September 18).

The former Homelands Hospital, in Helmington Row, is outside of the boundary of Crook and is categorised as unsuitable within the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.

Ed Alder, regional and land planning director for Gleeson Homes, said: “This is somewhere that has been on the market for ten years with little or no interest.

“It has suffered terribly from vandalism and theft over the years and is likely to sit like this for another ten years if permission isn’t granted.

“There have been four letters of objection to the application, including suggestions that the current buildings be restored, but they are not structurally safe.

“They have brown asbestos, the worst type of asbestos, which would cost £120,000 to remove.”

Mr Alder added: “The current buildings are costing £20,000 a year to maintain.”

The land is currently managed by the Homes and Communities Agency, a public body that looks after surplus government land.

A spokesman confirmed that last year £20,000 of public money was spent on maintaining the land, ensuring that it is properly secured, insured and safe.

The site was originally developed as an isolation hospital in 1903, but closed in 2004 and has been disused ever since.

Residents who objected to the plans said they considered the proposal to be over development and raised concerns around drainage and trees.

The majority of trees that frame the site are protected by a tree preservation order.

Tree preservation officer Roger Lowe said: “The current buildings are in the centre of the land, surrounded by mature trees.

“The new buildings would be on the outside of the land within close proximity to the trees which means that the people who move into the houses are likely to complain.”

Councillors said the application was not sustainable as it was not within a reasonable distance to GPs and other every day facilities. The lack of affordable housing was also a cause for concern.

They voted to reject the motion 11-1.