PLANS for a new £11m residential development on the outskirts of a County Durham village have been given the green light.

Durham County Council planning officers using delegated authority, have approved proposals or 46 three, four and five-bedroomed homes.

The council had already granted full planning permission to Barratt Homes for 75 houses on 2 hectares of land west of Syke Road, Burnopfield, and near to the Lintz area of the settlement.

But the company pulled out of the development and Akenside Developments, which owns the land, submitted a subsequent application reducing the number of homes on the site.

The development by Akenside Developments will detached family-style homes, as well as bungalows designed for the elderly, with the first properties released onto the market in early 2021.

More than 50 new construction jobs, including work for apprentices and trainees, could be created as onsite work gets underway in the autumn, with dozens more supported in associated supply chain and indirect roles.

Joe Ridgeon, director at Hedley Planning Services, which acted on behalf of Akenside Developments, said: “This is another important step forward in securing much needed, good quality housing stock for this part of County Durham.

“It’ll be a significant boost to the local economy and as planners, we want to see the creation of good quality housing schemes that leave a long-lasting legacy and provide lovely homes for people.”

Plans for the development, which have been drawn up by Newcastle architectural technologists Ergo Projects, have focused on creating properties that are "energy efficient and feature the latest in sustainable building materials and techniques".

When the site was first considered for housing, landscape experts had been concerned about the filling in of the natural glacial feature known as Boggle Hole, but is is not formally protected. While a certain amount of earthworks needed, developers will work with the topography of the land.

Akenside Developments also has outline planning permission for 14-self build units. Detailed plans have yet to be submitted.