A COUNCIL planning chief has called on a developer to withdraw controversial plans for houses and offices on the banks of the River Wear.

David Thornborrow, head of planning services at Durham City Council, has written to Banks Developments asking the company to withdraw its plans for Durham's Elvet Waterside area, saying it was his "firm view" planning officers could not support the scheme in its current form.

However, John Ruddick, from Banks Developments, rejected the plea on Tuesday night, saying withdrawal would be "inappropriate".

The company, along with the Esh Group, wants to build 129 houses and apartments, almost 1,000sq metres of commercial space and 151 car parking spaces on the site, which includes the old swimming baths.

The project has been controversial from the outset, with residents desperate to save a former bowling green.

In a letter to Mr Ruddick dated Thursday, March 20, Mr Thornborrow says a number of formal objections from statutory consultees means there is "no realistic prospect of a positive outcome in the immediate future". He continues: "I strongly advocate that the application be withdrawn to enable an improved scheme, addressing its current weaknesses, to emerge."

Mr Thornborrow says there are inadequacies in the environmental information provided by Banks' consultants, issues concerning flood measures, unresolved design issues and the issue of affordable housing needs to be reassessed.

In response, Mr Ruddick said: "We have been working closely for many months with a range of consultees, including the city council and the organisations mentioned within Mr Thornborrow's letter, to outline the detail of the Elvet Waterside proposal and to discuss any queries they had about them.

"We do not think that it is appropriate to withdraw the application, and based upon ongoing discussions, we are very confident that all parties' concerns will be addressed to their ultimate satisfaction within the final plans that will go before the council planning committee later in the year."

Pippa Bell, who has campaigned to save the old bowling green, said: "We hope that Banks will take into account the objections of the statutory consultees, many of which relate to the loss of the greenfield site, the height of the buildings and the loss of the views."