RESIDENTS trying to save farmland on the edge of their village from development are preparing for another fight, after the proposals resurfaced.

Joyous shouts and cheers filled the County Hall council chamber last September, after a Durham County Council planning committee refused the Church Commissioners for England outline planning permission for up to 120 houses on agricultural land off Mill Lane, in Sherburn Village, near Durham City.

Residents say Sherburn has no need for more homes, the scheme would mean the loss of open countryside and access to the new estate, via a new entrance off Mill Lane, would be dangerous.

But the Commissioners say the 13.6-acre site is earmarked for housing, the new homes would support local services and facilities and they would create 3.7 acres of open space as part of the project.

The Commissioners filed an appeal against the council’s decision in November and an inquiry was scheduled for this July.

But concerns arose over the original reasons for refusing planning permission and, according to planning documents submitted by planning agents Barton Willmore, in December the council invited the Commissioners to re-submit the application.

The proposal is for an “attractive, low density” mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, a fifth of which would be “affordable”.

Barton Willmore said: “We consider that the proposals have responded positively to the feedback from the local community and the Indicative Masterplan demonstrates sufficient flexibility at this stage to ensure such requirements can be adequately accommodated at the Reserved Matters stage.”

A spokesman for the Commissioners said: “The land has been assessed by the council as being suitable for the delivery of housing and officers at the council have previously concluded that the proposals would provide a sustainable development on the edge of the village and would offer new homes in an area of identified housing need."

But Sherburn county councillor David Hall said: “Residents are extremely angry that we now have to at the same time fight both the Church Commissioners’ appeal to the national Planning Inspector and their re-submitted application to the council.

“The Government’s obsession with housing anywhere encourages developers to bulldoze over the views of communities like this and it seems it will soon be the case that nothing can ever be stopped.”

Further details on the scheme can be found online at durham.gov.uk/planning, using the reference DM/16/00400/OUT. Consultation has begun and runs until Tuesday, March 1. A council planning committee is expected to consider the application within the next few months.