A COUNCIL must move quickly to get its ambitious vision for County Durham’s future back on track after it was forced to rethink a £3 billion development blueprint.

Durham County Council’s cabinet today (Wednesday, April 6) agreed a timetable for writing a new County Durham Plan after withdrawing its original.

Work on the first CDP started back in 2009 and in 2013 it outlined housing, retail, business and infrastructure developments that aimed to create 30,000 jobs and 31,400 new homes by 2030.

When an independent inspector branded it undeliverable and over ambitious the council successfully challenged his report and managed to have it quashed.

Today, cabinet members heard that statutory processes mean the authority has to withdraw the plan to move forward and agreed it should work on a new CDP to steer developments until 2033.

They agreed to look at issues and options in June, draw up preferred options around the turn of the year, have a draft ready by next June and to complete the new CDP by the end of 2017- with extensive public consultation at each stage.

The meeting, held at Spennymoor, was told of the need to progress the plan expeditiously or risk the Government intervening or withdrawing cash through the New Homes Bonus - which pays authorities for boosting housing but may be stopped if an authority does not have a plan.

Councillor Neil Foster, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said the authority was right to have been ambitious and the work already undertaken gave it a solid starting point.

He said: “It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the work undertaken to protect our ambition is not in vain, I would like to ensure that the principles in which the previous plan were developed are maintained, that we ensure our residents have the best opportunity for a prosperous future and that the economy is at the heart of that plan.”

Cllr Foster said recent boosts such as the new Atom Bank basing itself in Durham and plans for a mixed use site at Junction 61, Bowburn, bode well for the economy but the county still lags behind much of the region and country in terms of GVA (gross value added) – which measures the value of local goods and services.

He said: “We need change in Durham, we have the opportunity and ambition and we now need the plan to guide us through.”