DEVELOPERS will be able to erect wind turbines of up to 40 metres high over large swathes of Teesdale if the latest version of the County Durham Plan is approved.
The final stage of the plan is expected to be approvedby Durham County Council’s cabinet today (Wednesday). While the plan ensures that only small wind-turbines, of up to 25 metres, can be put up within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), four large areas in the dale will allow for small to medium-sized turbines. “Small” to “medium” can be anywhere between 25 and 40 metres high. These areas include all the land east of Staindrop to the Darlington border, land east of Stainton to Kinninvie and the stretch from Greta Bridge to Hutton Magna.
These types of wind turbines will also be considered for the upper Gaunless Valley, including Copley, Woodland and Hamsterley.
More severe restrictions have been placed on the land east of Staindrop, including Raby Park and Raby Hill, where only micro-wind turbines of up to 11 metres high will be tolerated.
Cockfield Fell is also protected under the final version of the plan where only micro-wind turbines will be considered.
Masterplan for dale development finalised
THE final version of the County Durham Plan holds little change for Teesdale despite a public consultation where concerns were raised about a lack of provision for new major housing developments in the area.
The plan, which is was approved by Durham County Council’s cabinet this week, maps out where development can take place in the county over the next 16 years. Although some 15,946 new houses have been allocated to the county until 2035, only 971 are to be built in west County Durham, which includes Teesdale. But because so many housing developments have already taken place, no land has been identified for more projects in the dale.
However, developers will still be able to apply to build on “windfall” sites. These smaller sites of less than 0.4 hectares can accommodate up to 12 houses.
As with previous versions of the plan, the final draft identifies a need for additional retail in Barnard Castle to protect its town centre.
Officers said: “Within Barnard Castle, the Retail and Town Centre Study has identified food spend leakage out of the town to other centres within and also outside of the county. In terms of main food retail destinations, the town only has a single small Morrison’s store resulting in a lack of choice for local residents.
“The plan will therefore support proposals that will deliver new food retail provision within Barnard Castle that comply with the sequential and retail impact tests.”
The plan also protects several employment sites in
Teesdale for industrial development. These include Harmire Enterprise Park, Stainton Grove Industrial Estate, Evenwood Industrial Estate and the units near Lonton. Land at Shaw Bank, near Barnard Castle, has also been identified for industrial development.
The latest version of the plan continues to identify a “corridor of interest” where a relief road could be built around Barnard Castle.
Officers said a relief road, coupled with a ban on vehicles over 18 tonnes passing through Barnard Castle could “help reduce potential damage to the historic fabric of the town as well as address public concerns regarding safety and amenity”. However, they added: “Although the council recognises that there would be some benefits resulting from a relief road the uncertainty over how it would be funded means that we are unable to allocate or safeguard the route. However as the council believe there is some merit to the scheme we have identified a corridor of interest on the policies map.”
