PLANS to build houses on the site of a brewery are to be discussed this week.

Executives from London-based Persimmon Homes are to talk to Easington District Council officials about proposals to build a housing estate on the Castle Eden Brewery site, near Peterlee - once the plant has been demolished and the site cleared.

Money from the sale of the site to Persimmon would help fund the Castle Eden company's purchase of Hartlepool's Camerons brewery, guaranteeing more than 100 jobs and safeguarding the future of brewing in Hartlepool.

Persimmon has already missed one deadline for the submission of detailed plans for the houses and no application had been received by the planners yesterday.

However, Jim Corby, the council's head of local plans, revealed discussions with Persimmon are on the agenda.

He said: "We will be meeting with them, when we will be discussing proposals for the site. There has been no planning application yet. We are hoping to try and persuade them to consult with some of the local residents associations on what seems to be the way to go.

"The council has no problem in principle with development in that area. It is the sort of area the council welcomes some development going forward, but it is just the way it goes forward.