A PARISH council’s boundaries are to be extended to include another 110 homes.

The area covered by Pelton Parish Council is being widened to include houses in the village of Newfield from next year, which have not previously been represented by a parish council.

Newfield and Pelton Lane Ends Residents’ Association submitted a petition calling for the change and Durham County Council carried out a survey of residents who would be affected.

Of the 110 letters sent to houses in the Newfield area, there were 20 responses, of which 17 were in favour of the change.

From April next year, the homes will therefore be included within Pelton Parish and will each have to pay extra council tax to pay for parish council services, currently set at £102.44-a-year for a Band D property.

The council also contacted 11 other properties with a Newfield postcode which had not been included in the original plan submitted by the Residents’ Association.

Of those, three responses were received, all opposed to being included in Pelton Parish Council area and therefore those houses will not be transferred.

Meanwhile, residents in Pelton Fell are to be consulted on a proposal by Pelton Fell Community Partnership to create an independent community council, which has the same powers as a parish council.

A consultation exercise began this week (Sept 23) and every household that would be affected by the proposal will be sent background information and a feedback form, to be returned by November 6.

Anyone who does not receive a feedback form but would like to give their views on the proposal can submit a written representation to durhamcgr@durham.gov.uk

Draft proposals will be put together for further consultation in January 2016, with final recommendations due in May 2016.