Durham approves £200m residential scheme

Durham County Council has approved plans by developer Banks Group to build 290 homes in the south of Durham.

The housing-led scheme will be built on land sandwiched between the city centre and a clutch of Durham University colleges on Elvett Hill to the south.

Proposals also include an education quarter and several community facilities. There will be 120 people employed on site during construction.

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at the Banks Group, said: “This decision is extremely positive news for both the local area and wider region on many levels, and will directly support Durham County Council’s vision of Durham City acting as a driver of economic growth in the county.”

 “Our vision for Mount Oswald is to create an outstanding, high quality, low density, sustainable new neighbourhood of families and students with a green infrastructure that provides new green links and wildlife habitats and is well connected to public transport.

“It will support Durham University’s drive towards maintaining its position as one of the world’s pre-eminent educational institutions, open up a range of new public open spaces and footpaths for everyone to enjoy, enhance the habitats available to local wildlife, encourage wildlife diversification and enable us to create many new community facilities.”