Durham County Council approves 57 new homes for vandal-hit site

Planners have recently approved a project that will see 57 new ‘homes’ being provided on what is currently a known vandal-hit former school site in Gainford. Planning officers from Durham County Council’s south-west planning committee are said to have unanimously approved the proposal to build 57 homes on the former St Peter’s School site in the Dale village.

Parts of the existing building will likely stay where flats will be constructed though certain members of the council would have preferred to see a complete demolition of the site and a new development added instead.

Teesdale councillor George Richardson is reported to have said: “Finally we are seeing this development. It has been talked about for 30 years. I was one who would have favoured the demolition of the whole shooting match but I’m grateful to see it developed.”

Cllr Clare, who represents Aycliffe North, replied: “I disagree. When anyone like me drives into Gainford, that’s the first thing I see. It’s distinctive, imposing and beautiful. The fact that the front will be retained is a considerable advantage.”

11 homes will be classed as affordable and run by a housing association.

Full report on the Teesdale Mercury website.

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today!

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows – but higher borrowing costs limit affordability gains UK’s house price to income ratio falls from 7.6 to 7.3, an 11-year low, as earnings continue to outpace house price growth For first-time buyers, homes now cost less than six times earnings, falling from 6.1 to 5.9 However, monthly…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

New Scheme Could Double Solo Buyer New-Build Options

Your First Home could more than double new-build options for solo first-time buyers The number of available new-build homes in England affordable to an average single first-time buyer could more than double (+114%) under the new Your First Home scheme The maximum purchase price affordable to an average solo buyer could increase by nearly £49,000,…
Read More →
Breaking News

Annual house price growth halves in September

UK annual house price growth halved to 0.8% in September, from 1.6% in August Northern Ireland remained best performing region, with prices up 5.9% year on year in Q3 2026 East Anglia weakest performing region, with annual decline of 0.7% Terraced properties were the strongest performing property type, with a 1.8% rise, whilst flats remained…
Read More →
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Estate Agent Talk

Homesellers say valuation appointment is key

Nearly nine in 10 home sellers say the valuation appointment is key when choosing an estate agent   The latest research from GetAgent.co.uk has revealed that the valuation appointment remains one of the most influential stages of the home selling journey, with almost nine in 10 sellers saying it played an important role when deciding which…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

London’s rental market bucks the national trend

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that rental demand in the capital is up 7% in September while Great Britain overall is 2% below last year Rental demand in London had been running around 7% below 2025 levels on average throughout 2026 until the end of August before moving into growth…
Read More →
Breaking News

Higher mortgage rates put buyers in the driving seat

Market conditions vary locally: three in four Scottish homes find a buyer within three months, compared with just three in ten in London   Mortgage rates now average 5.2 per cent, the highest level in three years, adding £150 a month (£1,800 a year) to typical repayments and further cooling buyer demand Homes for sale…
Read More →