COUNCILLORS have backed £15 million plans for another 214 student beds in Durham.

Despite protests from residents and some councillors, Durham County Council’s central and east planning committee today (Tuesday, April 14) supported Gilltown’s proposals for Kepier Court, off Gilesgate, by eight votes to four.

While not the final defeat for neighbours who say the scheme would be too large, damage the area and overshadow nearby houses, their hopes now depend on the Secretary of State agreeing to a “call in” – a move rarely seen on developments of this scale.

The vote was met with boos and shouts of ‘disgrace’ followed as the public gallery at County Hall emptied after the hour-long debate.

The Dorset-based developer wants to demolish all seven buildings on the 1.7-acre site except Kepier House, a former prison, which would be turned into communal facilities and offices.

There would be four new buildings, with 98 bedrooms across 19 “cluster flats” of four to six bedrooms each and 116 self-contained “studio flats”.

The site has stood idle since it was last used for postgraduate student accommodation in 2005.

Today (Tuesday) was the second time the committee had discussed the plan in just over a month, councillors having deferred making a final decision in March to give themselves a chance to visit the site and see it for themselves.

Having done that this morning (Tuesday), Cllr Geraldine Bleasdale said it was a mess and Gilltown had bent over backwards to keep residents happy.

Gilltown managing director Paul Gillespie said the development would include a fitness suite, study rooms and pastoral care, be “zero car”, support local jobs, had been designed with its neighbours in mind and the firm was well aware of its responsibilities.

Several residents and the City of Durham Trust’s Roger Cornwell spoke out against the scheme and Harvey Dowdy, from Durham University, said it would cause unacceptable to harm to the amenity of local residents and create an over-supply of student bed spaces.

Gilltown said it did not have to prove the scheme was “needed”, but that it was aimed at students currently living in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), which it said would be freed up for families. Cllr Charlie Kay said Durham was “absolutely swamped” with HMOs.

Cllr David Freeman said Durham could do better than Gilltown’s proposal. However, his motion to refuse planning permission was defeated by seven votes to four.