A HOUSING estate on the edge of a village has been granted outline planning permission for a second time, after an error in council procedure was spotted.

In July, Avant Homes was granted outline planning permission to build up to 70 homes on grazing land opposite West Road in Willington.

Durham County Council’s South and West Planning Committee approved permission for the estate, which lies just off the A690, by a majority vote in a meeting at Spennymoor.

However, it later emerged that the application constituted a major development and should have been heard at the authority’s more senior County Planning committee.

Yesterday (Wednesday, September 2) it came back before members of County Planning sitting at County Hall and was again approved, by six votes to three.

Councillors were told that Greater Willington Town Council had objected to development of the 4.65-hectare countryside site and 15 letters from local residents had also been lodged with the council.

The Coal Authority had also objected, saying that no risk assessment had been carried out even though the site was in a high risk area.

Cllr Olwyn Gunn told the meeting:“Coal Authority records show the site has been subject to coal mining at shallow depth.

“I am concerned and residents are concerned.”

Resident Gillian Wood said the fields were also used by bats, barn owls and deer and highlighted concerns about traffic growth.

She added: “Willington has been saturated with homes in the last five years. The proposed houses will not provide homes for local young couples, they will be houses for people who want to commute into Durham.”

“The occupiers will work, shop and socialise elsewhere, bringing nothing of benefit to Willington.”

Speaking for the applicants, Sandra Manson told the committee that the development “will deliver a sustainable scheme and 10 per cent of homes will be affordable.”

She said that an initial site report suggested that while there were some mine workings on the site there was “nothing insurmountable.”

The developers would also take steps in the lay-out of the estate to protect a Roman road which runs beneath the site.

Councillor Carl Marshall said: “I understand the local concerns and the views expressed by local residents, but we have to make decisions based on material planning grounds and I am struggling to find any material planning grounds to refuse the application.”

Members backed a recommendation by their planning officials to grant conditional approval on a majority vote.