Latest news with #EastDurhamCollege
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
College receives stage one planning approval for major redevelopment
East Durham College has received stage one planning approval for a major redevelopment. The college's plans for its Houghall Campus in Durham were presented at a Durham County Council planning committee meeting. The committee unanimously supported the plans, noting the facility's influence on the local agricultural sector. Scott Bullock, principal and chief executive of East Durham College, said: "We are delighted our plans were met with unanimous support from the committee and we have now been granted approval in principle. Artist's impression of the development (Image: East Durham College) "It was back in April 2021 that the college first received the news that the Department for Education had included Houghall in its £1.5bn FE Capital Transformation Fund, so it's been an extremely long road, with a lot of hard work, to get to this point. "The plans will now go forward to the Secretary of State for the final planning approval process. "However, this is an extremely positive step towards this exciting new development for the college and the region." (Image: East Durham College) The development plans include a substantial, two-storey, purpose-built teaching and learning block at the heart of the campus site, which will replace existing outdated infrastructure. If approved, the development will create a large amount of new classroom space, new science labs, a new lecture theatre, a new refectory, improved social spaces, and an updated library space. The college also plans to build a new lambing and sheep shed within the agriculture centre and improve landscaping and walkways between the new block and other buildings. Mr Bullock added: "Houghall is the largest specialist land-based college in the North East, and this multi-million-pound investment will enable the next phase of the college's ambitious redevelopment plans for the Houghall estate, ensuring students receive the very best experience and training in land-based education for many years to come." The redevelopment is hoped to be completed by September 2026.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
College housing plan expected to be refused
Plans by a college to build 54 homes on a disused playing field are expected to be rejected. East Durham College wants to build the homes on an old running track at Willerby Drive in Peterlee, but a planning officer from Durham County Council has recommended the projected be refused permission. George Spurgeon pointed out a number of problems with the scheme and said it would result in a loss of playing fields in the area. However, Easington MP Grahame Morris has supported the application because it would bring the land back into use. He said the plans would "repurpose a neglected area and generate revenues to enable the college to continue to deliver high-quality academic and sports provision, as well as much-needed housing". The site was last used as a playing field in 2019, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. In its planning statement the college said the field was overgrown and it had no "surplus funds or intention" to reuse it as a playing pitch. In his recommendation to the council, Mr Spurgeon said the proposed development would lead to the loss of about two hectares (7.4 acres) of playing fields and the application did not show a surplus of such facilities in the area. Sport England objected to the plans for the same reason. Mr Spurgeon said the development was of a "poor design" when assessed against the council's County Durham Plan Building for Life Supplementary Planning Document. He said it "would not be possible for an appropriate layout for something numerically close to 54 dwellings" to be built while adhering to the guidelines. The plans would also require prominent trees to be cut down and the development would cause significant harm to biodiversity in the area, Mr Spurgeon said. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@ College in £10m expansion plan East Durham College Durham County Council
