Countryside charity complains about building near Pennine Way

CPRE, the Countryside Charity, said walkers have watched “with amazement and growing anger” in recent months as an agricultural building – likened to an aircraft hangar – was erected on Lartington High Moor by Deep Dale, west of Barnard Castle.

The building is in a remote location close to the Pennine Way, on the Bowes to Baldersdale section, deep in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and close to a Special Area of Conservation.

CPRE (formerly the Campaign to Protect Rural England) said it has repeatedly tried to get clarification from planning authority Durham County Council about the development.

It accused the council of failing to take action over the building, which has been built without planning permission, and has now submitted a formal letter of complaint.

Richard Cowen

Richard Cowen, chair of CPRE North East, said: “We made the council aware of our concerns in February this year. We’ve been in touch many times since and were told an application for retrospective planning permission was to be made in August but no application was made.”

He said by the end of September, there had still been no application made in respect of the building and the charity had concerns about the council’s handling of the matter – accusing them of secrecy about any enforcement action it may be considering.

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Mr Cowen said: “They have cited confidentiality as a reason but given the nature of this development in a remote part of the county, we find this refusal to give any information unacceptable.

“We have not asked for details but an outline as to what the council proposes to do and we believe that is a reasonable request and one that the officers should answer.

“Instead, we seem here to be totally in the hands of the developer who apparently does not have the information needed for a planning application.

“This is despite the fact that a large building has been constructed in a remote area together with a windsock, and remedial works having been carried out.

“It gives the impression of being an unauthorised development in a very sensitive area.

“Surely this is a case where the council should be taking enforcement action now in respect of a development such as this? Surely such a building is not permitted development?”

Durham County Council has this week told The Northern Echo that its planning enforcement team has investigated CPRE’s claims and an application for retrospective planning permission for the building has now been lodged with the authority.

Geoff Paul, Durham County Council’s interim head of development and housing, said: “Concerns regarding the development were brought to our attention earlier this year and have been investigated by our planning enforcement team.

“The landowner has now submitted a retrospective planning application for consideration.

“This will allow the development to be fully assessed following full consultation with interested parties.

“The complainants have been kept up to date with the progress of the investigation and will be given the opportunity to express their views on the planning application in due course.”

The development of concern to countryside campaigners near Lartington, County Durham

The development of concern to countryside campaigners near Lartington, County Durham

The development of concern to countryside campaigners near Lartington, County Durham

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