A LACK of parking places has wrecked plans for a children's day nursery in Sedgefield.

But owner John Owens says he has not given up and intends to apply for temporary permission to run the nursery.

Mr Owens wants to open a day nursery to cater for 36 children at The Square, in Sedgefield.

Need for extra nursery provision in the village has long been acknowledged, but Durham County Council raised strong objections to his proposal.

It said the site did not have any parking provision, which would increase problems on the already congested adjacent roads.

Mr Owens said he had identified a number of alternative parking places which could be used by staff and parents.

But planning officers from Sedgefield Borough Council recommended that the proposal be refused, and council members, who made a site visit earlier this week, rejected the application.

Councillor Kester Noble, chairman of the council's development control committee, said: "This was a difficult one because a lot of members had great sympathy with the fact that there is a need for this. But there is this constant problem of parking.

"In the past, we have managed to get around that by granting temporary permission, but this was an application for permanent permission."

Mr Owens said he was "very disappointed" by the decision, but added that he would be resubmitting the application.

He intends to ask for 12 or 18 months' temporary permission, to give planning officers the chance to assess the parking situation in operation.