Mount Oswald Golf Course plan gains planning approval

4:20pm Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News Static HTML image By Tony Kearney

A CONTROVERSIAL multi-million pound housing development has been granted planning permission.

Members of Durham County Council’s County Planning committee have, in the last hour, backed the £200m plans for Mount Oswald Golf Course, in Durham City, by a majority vote.

Banks Property has been given permission to build nearly 300 homes on the 95-acre site, along with accommodation for 1,000 students as well as offices and community facilities.

The company claimed the development would boost economic growth in the city but opponents, including Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, were concerned over traffic issues and loss of green space.

More than 2,000 people signed a petition opposing the scheme and 500 letters have been sent to the council.

Comments(20)

Voice-of-reality says...
4:34pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Odd how schemes involving the destruction of the greenbelt always seem to be approved in Durham when major developers are involved - one thinks of the riverbank by the old pool and now this.

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scprof says...
5:22pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Durham County Council. Kerching!!!!!!

But then the extra money that they are being bunged will then to be spent on extending the schools in the area. How about building the extra infrastructure first before letting housing developments that destroy public leisure facilities be built.

I am sure that the Banks PR manager will be getting a big pat in the back after this shocking decision,

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The Grim North says...
6:37pm Tue 5 Feb 13

If RBW is so concerned about loss of green space why does she not object to uncontrolled mass imigration into the UK. The two things are incompatible.

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Birdyy says...
7:41pm Tue 5 Feb 13

To be honest a golf course was of no use to me. In the absence of other options why not houses. I hope they use a good architect.

At least the student places will reduce impact of landlords on city centre.

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Voice-of-reality says...
8:03pm Tue 5 Feb 13

No - it will enable the university to expand further (given the reforms of Gove) -pushing up demand

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Birdyy says...
8:33pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Oh: i thought tuition fees was reducing demand

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Voice-of-reality says...
9:25pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Actually, the latest figures from UCAS suggest that is not the case and Durham can also have unlimited numbers of AAB students under the new guidelines - so Durham will continue to grow

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Birdyy says...
9:36pm Tue 5 Feb 13

I see. They won't be playing golf in future!

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Voice-of-reality says...
9:49pm Tue 5 Feb 13

But that worthwhile degree 'golf course management' is still available in some parts of the country

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scprof says...
11:18pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Some people are arguing that it will help to get students out of houses in the City Centre. There will be about 1000 student beds included. The University is expecting to have over 2000 extra students by 2020. You do the Maths.

It's more than just losing a well used leisure facility that is open to everybody. There is the extra traffic, extra pressure on school places, loss of green space etc.

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Voice-of-reality says...
12:06am Wed 6 Feb 13

Here's an idea - encourage the university not to move into an old hall at st oswald's but rather develop an old hall in the city centre for accommodation - oh whoops they sold it; claiming that possession of an old hall was not 'in keeping with the universities new image' (epitomised by that ghastly purple potato stamp on the side of Bill Bryson library), whereas an old hall in the form of st. oswald's is.....

lunatics, asylum, palatine centre?

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jrl_at_dt says...
11:04am Wed 6 Feb 13

DCC could have kicked this application back to the Developers (and the University) and told them to come back with a proposal that has the support of local residents.

In approving the application DCC have demonstrated their utter contempt for the views of hundreds local people.

By ignoring the objections of so many local people DCC have demonstrated clearly that their consultations on planning decisions/policy, e.g. on the emerging Local Plan, are totally bogus.
I guess we all knew this already.

It is a very sad day for local democracy.

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Birdyy says...
12:08pm Wed 6 Feb 13

scprof wrote:
Some people are arguing that it will help to get students out of houses in the City Centre. There will be about 1000 student beds included. The University is expecting to have over 2000 extra students by 2020. You do the Maths. It's more than just losing a well used leisure facility that is open to everybody. There is the extra traffic, extra pressure on school places, loss of green space etc.
Done the maths

Looks like this will mean 1000 less students in the centre given the projections.

Surely this is a must

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Birdyy says...
12:12pm Wed 6 Feb 13

jrl_at_dt wrote:
DCC could have kicked this application back to the Developers (and the University) and told them to come back with a proposal that has the support of local residents. In approving the application DCC have demonstrated their utter contempt for the views of hundreds local people. By ignoring the objections of so many local people DCC have demonstrated clearly that their consultations on planning decisions/policy, e.g. on the emerging Local Plan, are totally bogus. I guess we all knew this already. It is a very sad day for local democracy.
Why is this bad local democracy? Did we not vote these people in?

Maybe all matters of local planning should be put to the vote? How would this be done?

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NJGR26 says...
12:59pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Birdyy wrote:
scprof wrote: Some people are arguing that it will help to get students out of houses in the City Centre. There will be about 1000 student beds included. The University is expecting to have over 2000 extra students by 2020. You do the Maths. It's more than just losing a well used leisure facility that is open to everybody. There is the extra traffic, extra pressure on school places, loss of green space etc.
Done the maths Looks like this will mean 1000 less students in the centre given the projections. Surely this is a must
This obviously assumes:

a) the students want to live in halls of residence rather than a private house

b) the landlords are going to accept the multiple income streams they have will be closed and they are prepared to change their rental proirities from multiple occupancy back to single family homes

You are as niave as the coucil if you think this will happen !

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scprof says...
3:07pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Birdyy wrote:
scprof wrote:
Some people are arguing that it will help to get students out of houses in the City Centre. There will be about 1000 student beds included. The University is expecting to have over 2000 extra students by 2020. You do the Maths. It's more than just losing a well used leisure facility that is open to everybody. There is the extra traffic, extra pressure on school places, loss of green space etc.
Done the maths

Looks like this will mean 1000 less students in the centre given the projections.

Surely this is a must
People in the City Centre , ie an ex mayoress want the students out of the City, but because there are extra students coming into the University, this will not happen.

The University needs to look at building a much larger new campus to account for this increase on a site like Houghall.

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scprof says...
3:09pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Also with the expected development of Aykley Heads which is expected to be similar priced housing as to what Banks plan to desecrate Mount Oswald with, is there enough buyers who can afford the houses, or will we end up with another Sheraton Park development, which is still un-finished after Banks grabbed some money and did a runner.

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scprof says...
3:17pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Yet more green space destroyed by our money grabbing council, who put forward the needs of rich people and students before the people of Durham. Do we really need more retail space? No. Do we need yet more student homes to support a greedy university that wants money for every student it can get? No. Do we need more yuppy homes for rich people from out of the area rather than affordable housing for people born and bred in Durham? No we don't. But the council doesn't care what we want or think, hence more mindful destruction of green space in what was a lovely city, but is rapidly becoming a concrete metropolis where the rich and student landlords become richer and the locals watch as the city we love morph into a place that lacks character. The council planners want sacking.

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scprof says...
3:17pm Wed 6 Feb 13

http://www.savemount
oswald.co.uk/#

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scprof says...
3:18pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Letter from Roberta Blackman-Woods



Dear All,

Re: Mount Oswald Decision

You may have heard that Durham Committee Council Planning Committee today approved the Banks Group’s outline planning application to build 291 houses, 1000 student bed spaces and office and retail space on the Mount Oswald golf course. I am contacting you all as you previously attended the Public Meeting.

I am sure you will agree that this is really disappointing news for Durham and I am sorry that all your hard work opposing the application did not stop the plans being passed.

I intend to call a meeting in the next couple of weeks to discuss possible options. The action we can take at this stage will depend what you, as local residents, wish to do. I think it will be good for us to look at the situation and make an assessment based on the options. I hope you are able to attend the meeting.

Please email

aimee.roberts@parlia
ment.uk

to express an interest in attending such a meeting.

Best wishes,

Roberta

Roberta Blackman-Woods MP
Shadow Communities and Local Government Minister
Member of Parliament for City of Durham
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

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