A MULTI-million-pound golf course and hotel development is expected to bring a plush leisure development into a rural corner of County Durham.

The 18-hole course, clubhouse and 126-bedroom hotel at Sharpley Hall Farm, Seaton, near Seaham, has won outline planning permission.

But this week, the ambitious scheme, which promises the most environmentally friendly golf course in the region, found itself temporarily bunkered when an objection to the development delayed the fine tuning to the plans.

The scheme is the brainchild of Sharpley Hall Farm's owner, Simon Weightman, who revealed the scheme is initially estimated to cost in the region of £6m.

A golfer himself, Mr Weightman is also a keen environmentalist and is blending the two aspects into his carefully researched plans.

He told The Northern Echo that his prime aim was to provide "a quality golf course and leisure facilities in total harmony with its natural environment'.'

The site is next to the B1404 road, just west of Seaton village, in open countryside.

The 18-hole golf course is set up as two loops of nine holes, both commencing and completing in the area set aside for the clubhouse and practice bays.

Mr Weightman has spent many hours in discussions with course experts and is planning a traditional course, using the latest guidance from the Royal and Ancient at the famous St Andrews.

He intends to use recommended grasses, which require much less irrigation, and no use of chemical fertilisers.

It is proposed that the clubhouse will be a brick-built structure with clay pantile roofing, set partially into the slope of a hill. It will be two- storied, with the main facilities in the upper level, consisting of a pro shop and single combined lounge bar with a central entrance hall.

The hotel, in the last phase of the development, will include 126 bedrooms.

The design creates four distinct L-shaped courts which are intended to break down the scale of the building visually.

Mr Weightman predicts that the development will increase the already rich abundance of wildlife on the farm.

The detail proposals came before Easington District Council on Tuesday evening, when a decision was postponed for three weeks, pending consideration of an objection.

But Mr Weightman is convinced of the merits of his proposal. "This will be a great development, not just for Seaham, but the overall area, and bring a tremendous boost for tourism,'' he said