AN MP has backed groups objecting to a proposed housing development in Spennymoor.

English Nature, Durham Wildlife Trust and Durham County Council have voiced concerns over plans for 100 homes to the south of a housing scheme at Whitworth Park.

Sedgefield Borough Council granted planning permission to Barratts for the scheme eight months ago. But as the area is designated as a County Wildlife Site, councillors made a condition that Barratts create a nature strategy that has to be approved before building can start.

Barratts carried out ecological surveys to identify the most important nature areas and revised its planning scheme based on its results, reducing the area to be built on and setting aside land to form new areas of grassland.

But the objections have remained and now protestors have been joined by Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman.

She said: "I hope that the council will not allow this 100-home development because this is an important wildlife site.

"There are other areas in the borough where there could be housing and I think it's quite wrong to build on a site which is of prime importance from an environmental point of view."

The council's development control committee will discuss the matter today.