A CHARITY is hoping to sell its land to build around 100 houses as it tries to raise some cash to help it cope with funding cuts.

Finchale, a charity supporting veterans and disabled and disadvantaged people, wants to build the homes on its land, near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me, near Durham City.

It is working with a planning consultant to try and get planning permission for the land and if successful will look to sell it and move elsewhere.

It is hoped the move will help the charity, which has lost around £2 million in funding from the Department of Work in Pensions, finance its work providing specialist support for people to help them enter employment, further education or training.

Finchale chief executive Mel Pears said: “We live in a fast-changing world and this brings both challenges and opportunity. Successful organisations, regardless of sector, must engage with all options, adapt and change if they are to remain successful. Finchale is no exception.

“We’ve had more than 70 successful, impactful years at our present site – years which we’ve used to transform lives for the better. By meeting changes in how we’re funded head on, while responding to changes in how our customers wish to receive services, we’re taking this opportunity to create a new vision in the way we work to secure the next 70 successful years of transforming lives for the better.

“I’m excited by our future which involves ambitious plans to grow our business by increasing our service offering and capability and widening our network to new customers, partners and donors from across our extensive region.”

Finchale was founded as a rehabilitation centre for injured veterans during the Second World War and still has strong links with the armed forces.

Planners from Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners [NLP] are hosting a drop-in session for people to have their say on the proposals, which is taking place on Thursday, July 28, between 3pm and 7pm at Finchale.

Phil Jones, from NLP, said: “There is an opportunity to re-develop the brownfield site for approximately 100 new homes, which would create a high quality design-led residential neighbourhood within its attractive setting.

“It is vitally important that the council maintains an up-to-date supply of housing to meet requirements, providing a range of choice to meet people’s housing aspirations.”