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Common sense prevails on redevelopment of Byland Lodge
Wednesday 25th June 2008
The decision by the Government Office for the North East not to require a “call in” of the planning application for redeveloping Byland Lodge vindicates the decision by Development Control Committee that agreed 14 – 1 to accept the scheme.
The decision recognises the City Council's track record on providing affordable housing throughout the district and over the last 10 years, working with our regeneration specialist Keepmoat Ltd has delivered a £100 million regeneration programme in former pit villages, creating over 850 new homes for rent, shared ownership and for sale.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Fraser Reynolds said today,"It was an absolute nonsense for the local MP to intervene in this way - the whole ethos of our work with the Durham Villages Regeneration Company (DVRC) is about creating balanced communities and this area of the City is dominated by student accommodation, it needs this prestigious scheme to offer more choice.
"Local people were happy with the scheme and there were only 2 other objections - if it had been unacceptable Durham people would have let us know and we would have listened." National statistics show that Durham City provides over 40% of the whole of County Durham's allocation for affordable housing and the City's award winning partnership through the DVRC coupled with our innovative partner working with rented social landlords shows us as an exemplar in the country."
"The redevelopment of Byland Lodge will be a terrific scheme for that part of the City and the historical importance of the lodge itself will be sensitively incorporated."
"It is also important to recognise the huge contribution DVRC makes to the local community - jobs, apprenticeships and training schemes and over £6 million invested in capital schemes such as the Newton Hall Community Centre and bowling green, and numerous improvements to play areas, parks and community halls.
"I'm delighted that this important work can continue with our local communities, if the redevelopment of Byland Lodge had been stopped, all of these schemes would be in jeopardy. The sad thing is that this was another example of the local MP being totally out of touch with reality and using party politics to stop important work we are trying to do for the people of Durham"
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