Plans to put a motorcycle track next to a cemetery have won support in tackling persistent problems with the "scourge" of off-road bikes.
Some councillors believe the plans offer a chance to stop off-road bikes plaguing long-suffering communities.
The proposals for an off-road motorcycle training centre and motor track sparked concerns - not least the proximity of Thornley Cemetery.
The agricultural land at Sunridge Farm, a six-hectare site between Ludworth and Thornley, had already been used to ride bikes in the last year, a meeting heard.
A retrospective application for permission to change the site's use was considered by a Durham County Council planning committee on Tuesday (July 12).
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Michael Emery, speaking for the applicant, said: "The scourge of off-road motorbikes is really a plague on society in our area.
"The police, I'm afraid, have not got the resources to man it or indeed stop it."
He said the idea was to bring riders into a controlled, screened environment instead of causing damage to roads and paths, giving them somewhere to go and stopping anti-social behaviour, with supervised vehicle repairs, bikes kept at the site and noise protection.
He added: "This is not a racing track where you have multiple motorcycles going around in a dangerous manner racing with each other.
"This is a training and time trial track with limited amounts of motorcycles allowed on the track at one time."
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Two ward councillors welcomed the plans to solve a widespread issue which had cost an "absolute fortune", but asked for a noise assessment.
Councillor Jake Miller said in a statement: "I would much rather the noise was coming from an off-road bike track, rather than off-road bikes destroying the grassed area near homes or schools or anti-social behaviour on the highways.
"At least as a council we will have tried to take a different approach."
Councillor Lucy Hovvels told the meeting: "I would rather see something controlled and planning in place where we can make a difference.
"I think young people and others have to have somewhere to go but it's got to be safe.
"I think if managed right and developed in the correct way, working alongside our officers, it could turn out to be something really positive."
Objectors, council officers, police and Thornley Parish Council raised concerns over excessive noise, disturbance, signage, operating times, impact on residents, vehicles' roadworthiness and "sensitive" locations like the cemetery and footpaths.
Supporters wrote five letters saying it was an organised hobby with safety protection, was good for the community and children, and noise would have "minimal" effect.
Planning officers recommended refusal, saying the track would be "inherently noisy" with dust and exhaust fumes, harming the character and tranquility of the countryside and cemetery.
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Debating the plans, Cllr Joe Quinn asked for a site visit and said: "I don't think the current way of dealing with anti-social behaviour is working.
"I think this is a potential pilot scheme to see if these type of things do work.
"If you can't build it on a farm that's relatively distant from places, where can you build it? You're not going to be able to build it in Durham city centre, that's for sure."
Cllr Chris Hood said: "I would be supporting this even as somebody who has a loved one at Ludworth Road Cemetery.
"We can't keep kicking the can down the road here for our communities."
The committee voted to defer the application for more information including noise, impacts, charges and the number of customers.
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