A landscape architect told a public inquiry a proposed incinerator with a 50m chimney stack would not spoil views of the area.

Paul Beswick suggested the stack of the proposed plant in Consett would be "barely noticeable".

He argued the energy from waste facility would "sit reasonably well" amid other features of the landscape which he described as "clutter".

He was called to give evidence by developer Project Genesis in its appeal against Durham County Council's refusal of planning permission.

Read more: Consett incinerator objectors tell inquiry it would be a 'blight' on landscape

The proposed incinerator would process up to 60,000 tonnes of fuel from non-recyclable commercial and industrial waste per year on restored land at Hownsgill Industrial Park, Consett.

Objectors and the council say it would harm the landscape, but Mr Beswick told a government-appointed inspector it would cause "low or negligible" change.

He said on Thursday (August 11): "Clearly the development will be visible but to my mind the change in the view is very minor."

He said the "slender" stack could not be screened but could be softened by colouring it "the palest of grey".

Read more: Consett incinerator row - Richard Holden hits back at plans

He said there was already "a significant amount of development" in the area, including wind turbines and a transmission mast, with undeveloped plots on three sides of the proposed plant.

"This is a landscape that is clearly capable of taking taller structures," he told the inquiry.

"I would suggest possibly in a few years chimneys such as this will become fairly common."

He said on grey days "the stack would be virtually impossible to see" and plumes would be occasional or rare.

He added: "Even on a bright blue sunny day I think it would be such an insignificant element within the wider panorama that it would be difficult to perceive.

"We don't believe it's a deterioration of the view at all really.

Read more: Incinerator inquiry - 'Consett will not be a dumping ground'

"The building will be visible but it's seen against a backdrop of the hill behind and indeed taller structures such as Pontop Pike and the various pylons and transmitters that are there.

"I would suggest a building of this sort is entirely congruent in its location.

"My landscape architects have done entirely what's required to minimise adverse impacts."

He argued the facility would be screened by woodland and would conserve the nearby North Pennines area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), and the AONB authority had not objected to it.

John Barrett, representing the council, cross-examined Mr Beswick saying: "It would be noticeable and harmful."

He said the building would be twice as high as any existing developments on the park, breaking the skyline with "unusually high structures... that would be difficult to screen".

Mr Barrett said: "Whilst the existing industrial estate is precisely what is says on the tin, the truth of the matter is that the development proposal itself would be a deterioration in the view of the existing residents. A marked deterioration, I would suggest."

Mr Beswick replied: "There would be a change in the view.

"It's an industrial estate, isn't it? They're already looking at existing buildings. It's going to be a bigger building.

"It's going to be visible. Whether it's a deterioration or not is another question."

Read more: Controversial £35m Consett incinerator plans REJECTED by councillors

Looking at viewpoints of the landscape, Mr Barrett put to him: "It's a distinctly rural panorama. What is introduced is not only a vertical structure but a building of some scale into that area, isn't it?" Mr Beswick replied: "Yes sir."

He later said: "I think it would be very difficult to notice.

"It would be barely noticeable amongst all the other clutter that's within that viewpoint.

"It forms a very small part of very wide panorama which, to my mind, is negligible change."

Mr Barrett said the former steel works site had seen "four decades of reclamation and regeneration" and formed an "attractive and mature landscape... giving a wooded backdrop".

Mr Beswick responded: "The site itself is an industrial park that has got grassland. I wouldn't suggest that it's some sort of bucolic landscape.

"This site is an urban fringe site within an industrial estate.

"Within most of the views of this area you're going to see other significant urban development."

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