A REVISED plan to develop housing on land in north Durham has been submitted.

Persimmon Homes went back to the drawing board when Durham County Councillors rejected its bid to build 63 houses on Urpeth Grange, near Ouston, last year.

Now the developer has applied for permission to create 47 homes on the land adjacent to Bradley Close.

At the last hearing, in March, councillors went against the recommendation of their planning officers to refuse permission for the development following a campaign by locals.

Residents clapped when members unanimously voted down the proposal.

Neil Foster, managing director for Persimmon Homes Durham, said: “Following the council’s decision to refuse consent for 63 dwellings upon the site in 2015, Persimmon Homes worked closely with Durham County Council, local councils and neighbourhood groups to identify and address the issues with the proposed development approach.

“As a result a revised scheme proposing a reduced 47 dwellings has been designed and subsequently submitted to DCC.

“This 47 unit scheme has been extensively consulted upon with local residents and Persimmon Homes are confident that all issues and concerns have been listened to and addressed where possible within the new application.”

As well as 47 houses the planning application includes proposals for the associated infrastructure and car parking for the new estate.

The plan for 63 houses attracted no objections from statutory bodies but 72 letters of opposition from people in the area.

The company has since carried out a public consultation exercise for its renewed plan.

Urpeth Parish Council, Urpeth Residents Association and local councillors Colin Carr and Alison Batey were among the initial scheme’s opponents.

Coun Carr said: “It was size of the development that we were really concerned about. They seem to be satisfying most of our views.

“Some people still want to object to it, but they must have known when they bought their houses there that there would be development on that land. “Persimmon have complied with what we have been asking for.”

The Chester-le-Street Local Plan of 2003 suggested the site should have about 40 homes built on it.

Durham County Council’s planning officers will be writing a report on new scheme, which is expected to go before the planning committee later this year.

An officer will be at the meeting of Urpeth Parish Council on Tuesday, January 19, at 7pm in West Pelton Community Rooms to discuss the scheme.