RESIDENTS are fed up with a long running planning saga over an underground car park which has left patch of land like a “bomb site”.

Developers have been trying to build on land at the Sands, in Durham City, since 2004.

Planning permission has been granted for two schemes for the Kepier House site, neither of which have gone ahead because of viability issues.

The site, which is part of the Durham City conservation area, is currently overgrown and has various spoil heaps as a result of excavations and extensive piling which was carried out as part of work to build an underground car park.

Work on the site was further delayed this week when a planning application from Persimmon Homes to change parking arrangements was withdrawn from the agenda of a Durham County Council committee meeting.

The delay has been met with frustration by some residents living close to the site, who are fed up with looking at the messy area.

John Lindsay, who has lived near Kepier House for 12 years, said: “It’s a disgrace. We have been asking Persimmon just to put up a hard wood fence around so we can’t see it. It’s an absolute disgrace to look at.

“People visiting the city are walking along the riverbanks and it’s what they see. It’s like a World War One bomb site.

“It’s an eyesore. I would love to see something done about it.”

Planning permission was first granted in 2004 for a block of 16 apartments, four town houses and the conversion of a student hostel into two homes.

Though work started, it was stopped due to viability issues.

A decade later, permission was granted for another proposal for the demolition of Kepier House, the erection of 35 apartments and an undercroft car park.

Work started to excavate for a basement car park, including extensive piling.

But this has also never gone ahead because of problems with flooding in the underground car park.

A new application was submitted in 2015 seeking to move the car parking spaces above ground. Persimmon now wants to have eight spaces accessed off The Sands, a further 16 accessed off Ferens Close and 10 from the south end of Ferens Close.

An amended plan was due to be considered by Durham County Council after being referred to the committee over concerns about car parking.

It is understood the application was withdrawn because of issues over land ownership.

Persimmon did not respond to requests for a comment.