Contents
. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ii
1. INTRODUCTION 3
What is the Infrastructure 3 Delivery Plan? The Scope of the Infrastructure 4 Delivery Plan Partnership Working 4
2. COUNTY DURHAM PLAN 6
Proposed Housing Distribution 6 in County Durham Employment Land 10
3. DELIVERY AREAS 15
Countywide 15 Countywide Physical Infrastructure 15 Countywide Social Infrastructure 29 North Durham 37 Central Durham 41 South Durham 48 East Durham 54 West Durham 58
4. IDP INVESTMENT 62 SCHEDULES
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan Executive Summary
Executive Summary
The County Durham Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) describes County Durham's infrastructure requirements until 2030. The IDP has been developed in partnership with providers to identify infrastructure needs, delivery costs, and particularly seeks to identify barriers such as shortfalls in finance relating to infrastructure delivery. The IDP assists partners to make efficient decisions about their own investment programmes and has been developed in co-operation with adjoining local authorities to identify cross boundary issues.
The IDP highlights some of the key development aspirations of the County Durham Plan (CDP), including where future housing and jobs will be located, and identifies those places where additional infrastructure or capacity is needed in the future.
Some of the key infrastructure requirements include new highways and rail stations, investment in broadband coverage across the County and a detailed assessment of where and when water sewerage networks will require investment. The IDP also considers the social infrastructure, which is crucial to improving our communities, such as medical care, emergency services, education facilities, community buildings, sports facilities and the visitor economy. Green Infrastructure improvements are also included throughout the IDP and its impact is referenced throughout the document, highlighting how it contributes to the overall aims of other physical and social types of infrastructure.
Structure
The IDP has two main sections:
The REPORT describes specific types of infrastructure in County Durham and highlights future investment issues and the impact of the County Durham Plan.
The SCHEDULE(i) is the financial breakdown of investment across delivery areas and key settlements. It states what infrastructure funding is (and is not) in place.
The IDP report and schedule can help secure potential future investment by public or private investors and is a key evidence base for introducing a new charge on development, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). It is based on the latest information (Summer 2013) and will be kept up to date through continuous dialogue between the Council and infrastructure providers so we can plan positively for the future of the County.
i The IDP schedule is located at the back of the main report (section Section 4) when printed or on a separate PDF document when viewed electronically ii County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Introduction 1
1 Introduction
What is the Infrastructure Delivery Plan?
1.1 The Sustainable Community Strategy, Regeneration Statement, and County Durham Plan (CDP) set frameworks for the delivery of improvements to the economic, social and environmental conditions of communities across the County. Each is underpinned by detailed evidence and will be delivered via action and investment plans. It is the CDP that is the key spatial development framework as it sets out specific land allocations for future employment, housing, transport and retail uses. The IDP identifies how, when and where the Council and its partners will provide infrastructure needed to achieve the CDPs vision for growth. The schedule lists future projects broken down by delivery area and states what funding is and is not in place and, where possible, provides a clear indication of infrastructure requirements for at least the first five years of the CDP. The IDP schedule also identifies which infrastructure is a priority for delivering the CDP.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
The NPPF published by the Department for Communities and Local Government states that Local Planning Authorities must work with other providers to understand infrastructure needs and:
"assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure for transport, water supply, wastewater and its treatment, energy (including heat), telecommunications, utilities, waste, health, social care, education, flood risk and coastal change management, and its ability to meet forecast demands" and that "planned infrastructure is deliverable in a timely fashion" and that local planning authorities should "understand development costs at the time Local Plans are drawn up."
1.2 The IDP supports a number of planning functions, it is an evidence base for the CDP that helps to meet statutory requirements, supports delivery and investment programmes, and indicates where private sector developers will be expected to contribute towards the provision or improvement of local and strategic infrastructure. Where funding cannot be found for infrastructure projects, shortfalls can be identified and used to inform the new development charge, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or other planning obligations that will address infrastructure needs. (ii)
ii See section 4 on funding infrastructure and the Community Infrastructure Levy
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 3 1 Introduction
The Scope of the Infrastructure Delivery Plan
1.3 The following types of physical, social and green infrastructure (GI) are included in this plan:
Physical Infrastructure Walking and cycling, bus, rail and highways
Water management and energy
Social Infrastructure Medical care Emergency services Education provision Regeneration (including town centres, tourism, community buildings, libraries and sports facilities)
Green Infrastructure (GI) ‘Green Infrastructure Boxes’ throughout the IDP
Green infrastructure (GI) boxes
The ‘Green Boxes’ running throughout the Infrastructure Delivery Plan aim to support and encourage the inclusion of GI within traditional infrastructure systems. They will appear in all infrastructure sections where GI can be applied. Enhancing the amount and quality of GI, and ensuring it is used widely, is an important element of the County Durham Plan.
The ‘Green boxes’ will explain how GI can be specifically embedded within the type of infrastructure being discussed, which kinds of GI would work best, and how it can also perform a role alongside traditional infrastructure, as well as the benefits it will bring.
Partnership Working
1.4 The IDP has a broad role, as it helps inform service planning and capital investment decisions by services that have not traditionally been included in plan-making decisions. It builds on the work of the Council and partnerships across the County and aids cross-working between the Council and other partners to achieve common goals. It recognises that planning is 'spatial' and helps to deliver services that play an important role in the fabric of communities such as schools, GP surgeries, community centres, and public transport. The IDP focuses on infrastructure that is needed but not yet provided, particularly trying to develop a picture of different needs in different parts of the County so that investment can be used more effectively to address gaps.
1.5 The first partnership event was held in September 2010 to establish an initial evidence base for the IDP and which formed the basis for regular partner updates. A further event was held in March 2012 to discuss the introduction of a CIL and consider infrastructure
4 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Introduction 1
priorities that may be delivered via the CIL and other planning obligations. During the Summer of 2013 the evidence base has been updated through individual discussions with partners.
1.6 The IDP is a 'live document' that will be updated periodically, with performance monitored through annual monitoring reports. The current economic climate is challenging for all IDP stakeholders so this approach gives an opportunity to review progress, identify funding priorities and gaps and make any adjustments within the framework of the CDP. The development of the IDP has involved close working with many organisations and it is hoped these relationships can be built upon in the future in order to refine and improve infrastructure planning and continue to align infrastructure planning with the aims of spatial and corporate planning.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 5 2 County Durham Plan
2 County Durham Plan
2.1 The CDP will guide future development and growth in County Durham up to 2030 and sets the framework for new development in the County; what is needed for our residents, businesses and visitors, and where it should be located. The CDP will include:
Objectives for the County, focusing on the key issues to be addressed; A delivery strategy for achieving these objectives which will set out how much development is intended to happen and where, when and how it will be delivered (the role of the IDP); An overall spatial interpretation of how the County and its towns and villages should develop; A number of strategic site allocations for key employment, housing, retail, minerals, waste developments; and Policies to set the basis for determining planning applications.
2.2 The growth set out in the CDP will significantly increase the number of homes to be delivered in the coming years as well as setting targets for new retail, employment, and leisure facilities across the County, which need to be accompanied by a range of infrastructure improvements.
Proposed Housing Distribution in County Durham
2.3 The starting point for determining the Housing Requirement has included analysis of population and household projections. The County Durham Plan includes a target for the delivery of at least 31,400 new dwellings. Full details relating to the future housing needs of the County can be found in the 'Housing Allocations' chapter of the County Durham Plan.
2.4 Bearing in mind the above Housing Requirement the key elements of the Spatial Strategy have been translated into a countywide housing allocations shown in the tables below. In order to provide more certainty regarding the future development of communities across the County, the housing distribution has been extended beyond the main towns to include the smaller towns and larger villages, as identified in the County Durham Settlement Study. Specific allocation has also been given to larger sites outside of these towns and villages.
2.5 The number of sites to be allocated has been calculated by subtracting those units completed between 1st April 2010 and 31st December 2011, the existing commitments under construction and those with planning permission to give an overall housing requirement of 31,400. The infrastructure regarding existing commitments has also been shared with Infrastructure providers.
6 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 2
Table 1 County Durham Plan Housing Allocations by Delivery Area
Settlement Ref Site Site Yield Phasing Area (Ha)
CENTRAL DURHAM
Main Towns
Durham City H1 Sniperley Park (Durham City Strategic Housing Sites) 120.5 2,200 Short
H2 North of Arnison (Durham City Strategic Housing 84.5 1,000 Short Sites)
H3 Sherburn Road (Durham City Strategic Housing Sites) 24.7 475 Short
H4 Durham Johnson School (Whinney Hill) 2.6 77 Short
H5 Durham Northern Quarter 7.4 40 Short
H6 Former Stonebridge Dairy 1.7 50 Long
H7 Framwellgate Fire and Rescue HQ 2.0 70 Short
H8 Merryoaks 11.8 250 Short
H9 Willowtree Avenue 1.9 60 Medium
Smaller Towns and Larger Villages
Brandon/ H10 East of Brandon Football Club 1.7 60 Medium Langley Moor/ Meadowfield
Coxhoe H11 Bogma Hall Farm 7.8 200 Short
H12 West of Grange Farm 3.6 110 Long
Sherburn H13 East of Mill Lane 3.6 100 Medium
Ushaw Moor H14 North of Ladysmith Terrace 5.5 120 Medium
Rest of Central Durham
Bearpark H15 North of Cook Avenue 5.6 150 Short
Burnhope H16 Greenwood Avenue 4.2 60 Long
NORTH DURHAM
Main Towns
Chester HE1 Lambton Park (Executive Housing) 72.5 400 Short -le- Street H17 BOC Site 7.4 210 Medium
H18 Civic Centre 1.8 60 Short
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 7 2 County Durham Plan
H19 South of Drum 15.6 340 Medium
H20 North of Hermitage Comprehensive 2.9 80 Medium
Consett H21 Blackfyne Community Sports College 4.2 100 Medium
H22 Castleside Reservoir 3.3 90 Medium
H23 Adjoining Former English Martyrs School 15.0 450 Medium
H24 Genesis Site 17.8 470 Short
H25 Moorside Comprehensive School 4.5 100 Medium
H26 Muirfield Close 2.0 30 Medium
H27 Rosedale Avenue 2.1 40 Long
H28 South Knitsley Lane 12.3 370 Medium
Stanley/ H29 Oxhill Farm 4.9 150 Medium
Tanfield Lea H30 Stanley School of Technology 3.4 110 Short
Smaller Towns and Larger Villages
Pelton/ H31 Rear of Elm Avenue 7.4 200 Medium Newfield
Sacriston H32 Lingey House Farm North 2.6 68 Long
H33 West House Farm 5.8 350 Short
H34 East of Dene Crescent 1.9 50 Medium
Rest of North Durham
Burnopfield H35 Syke Road 3.4 100 Short
Dipton H36 Bone Lane 2.4 54 Short
Fencehouses H37 West of Woodstone Village 7.3 60 Long
Great Lumley H38 Scott Court 0.7 25 Short
Urpeth H39 Brooms Public House 2.0 40 Long
SOUTH DURHAM
Main Towns
Bishop H40 Woodhouses Farm (Other Strategic Housing Sites) 24.4 600 Short Auckland H41 Canney Hill 1.0 39 Short
H42 East of Bracks Way 2.3 60 Long
H43 Former Chamberlain Phipps 1.6 45 Long
Crook H44 Rear of High West Road (Other Strategic Housing 27.3 600 Short Sites)
8 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 2
H45 West of Crook Primary School 3.0 55 Long
H46 Low Copelaw (Other Strategic Housing Sites) 93.2 950 Short
H47 South of Agnew Plantation 5.0 120 Medium
H48 Congreve Terrace 1.7 30 Short
H49 Eldon Whins 16.9 350 Medium Newton Aycliffe H50 North of Travellers Green 3.3 50 Medium
H51 Site N Cobblers Hall 1.8 62 Short
H52 Site O Cobblers Hall 4.7 165 Short
H53 Woodham Community College 4.4 120 Long
Smaller Towns and Larger Villages
Chilton H54 West Chilton Farm 4.5 118 Medium
Ferryhill H55 South of Dean Road 11.1 200 Medium
H56 West of Newcomen Street 0.4 12 Medium
Sedgefield H57 South of Eden Drive 17.1 450 Short
Rest of South Durham
Fishburn H58 Fishburn Hall Farm 3.1 74 Long
EAST DURHAM
Main Towns
Peterlee/ H59 North East Industrial Estate (Other Strategic Housing 17.0 390 Medium Sites) Horden H60 Adjacent to Shotton School 3.4 70 Medium
H61 Dene House School 2.3 70 Short
H62 North Blunts 2.4 85 Long
H63 South of Edenhill Community Centre 2.7 90 Long
H64 South of Passfield Way 1.0 35 Medium
Seaham H65 East of Milton Close 0.9 30 Long
H66 North of Portland Avenue 3.2 100 Medium
H67 Lawnside 4.8 140 Long
H68 Parkside 1.5 60 Medium
H69 Seaham Colliery Site 5.9 180 Short
H70 Seaham School 3.7 100 Medium
Smaller Towns and Larger Villages
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 9 2 County Durham Plan
Easington/ H71 Former Council Offices 2.4 63 Short
Easington H72 West of Fennel Grove 2.2 60 Medium Colliery H73 West of Petwell Crescent 2.7 90 Long
Wingate/ H74 East of Martindale Walk 5.5 161 Medium
Station Town
Rest of East Durham
Thornley H75 Dunelm Stables 5.8 115 Medium
H76 North of Hartlepool Street 6.9 130 Long
Wheatley Hill H77 West of Bevan Crescent 3.6 80 Medium
WEST DURHAM
Main Towns
H78 Auction Mart 1.4 35 Medium Barnard Castle H79 North of Bowes Road 6.3 200 Medium
H80 Grove Works 1.3 25 Medium
H81 Rear of High Riggs 3.0 90 Short
H82 South of Green Lane 1.9 80 Short
Smaller Towns and Larger Villages
Middleton in H83 Rear of Bridge Inn 0.6 20 Short Teesdale H84 East of Leekworth Gardens 0.4 15 Long
Rest of West Durham
None
Employment Land
2.6 The Employment Land Review (ELR) has been carried out and provides the principal evidence to determine the amount of employment land that is needed in each area of the County. The ELR has identified a number of economic market areas with the County of national, regional and local significance as shown in table below:
Table 2 - Employment Markets within County Durham
Level of Significance Market Area
National Significance A1 Corridor Durham City and Surrounds
10 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 2
Level of Significance Market Area
Regional Significance A19 Corridor
Local Significance Consett and Surrounds Bishop Auckland and Surrounds
2.7 The A1 Corridor stretches the length of the County from Chester-le-Street in the north to Newton Aycliffe in the south. It covers the area immediately accessible to the A1(M) and its attractiveness as an office and industrial location is linked to its proximity to the strategic road network. It includes many of the County's key employment locations such as Drum Industrial Estate near Chester-le-Street, Aycliffe Business Park in Newton Aycliffe and NETPark, a science park at Sedgefield.
2.8 South: The arrival of Hitachi will bring multiple benefits to the areas in the future and the County Durham Plan allocates 2 new prestige employment sites. Merchant Park is the preferred location for Hitachi train manufacturing and assembly plant, while Newton Park has also been identified as a prestige employment site with the potential to provide a major freight interchange operation.
2.9 North: A third prestige employment site will be allocated at the land to the south of Drum Industrial Estate, Chester-le-Street to build on the success of this popular business location.
2.10 Durham City is recognised as the County’s pre-eminent office location, reflecting the City's potential to improve its attractiveness to a diverse range of occupiers in the future. The city centre and edge of centre business parks (within a 4-5 mile radius) represent an offer that is distinct from that of the A1 Corridor and other parts of the County.
2.11 Stretching the length of the County's east coast, from Sunderland in the north to Hartlepool in the south, the A19 Corridor is viewed as the third major market in County Durham. Large industrial areas and business parks along the A19 Corridor will continue to support employment in this area and may benefit from the development of new Enterprise Zones to the north and the growth of key employers such as Nissan, as could other undeveloped employment sites near Seaham. Large sites at Hawthorne, Seaham and Peterlee have been allocated as general employment allocations.
2.12 In the north of the County, the towns of Consett and Stanley largely serve a local need. Similarly, in the South of the County the towns of Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor, as well as smaller centres such as Crook, primarily serve the needs of local businesses.
2.13 In West Durham, Barnard Castle acts as the main service centre and as the principal focus for employment. It contains a major industrial facility operated by Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK). Whilst GSK represent a major international occupier, Barnard Castle largely provides a modest level of industrial floorspace which is predominantly occupied by small local businesses. The rural service centres such as Tow Law, Stanhope and Middleton in Teesdale also cater for local needs.
2.14 The CDP has the following allocation for employment land across the County;
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 11 2 County Durham Plan
Table 3 County Durham Plan Employment Site Allocations
Central Durham Site Area (hectares, net)
Abbeywoods (Durham City) (B1 uses only) 0.79
Belmont Industrial Estate (Durham City) 11.50
Bowburn South Industrial Estate 1.61
Bowburn North Industrial Estate 3.25
Esh Winning Industrial Estate 4.00
Langley Moor Industrial Estate 1.17
Durham Science Park (Durham City)(B1 uses only) 3.94
South of Bowburn Road (Durham Green) 27.57
Meadowfield Industrial Estate 31.33
Langley Park 2.26
Total 87.42
North Durham Site Area (hectares, net)
Berry Edge Industrial Estate (Consett) (B1 uses only) 0.43
Bowes Business Park (Lambton Park) (B1 uses only) 0.17
Drum Industrial Estate (Chester-le-Street) 4.65
Greencroft Industrial Estate (Annfield Plain) 6.91
Hobson Industrial Estate 2.53
Hownsgill Industrial Estate (Consett) 15.03
Leadgate Industrial Estate 2.19
Lumley Sixth Pit 0.32
Number One Industrial Estate (Consett) 0.47
Stella Gill Industrial Estate (Chester-le-Street) 1.22
Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate (North) 5.40
Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate (South) 5.18
12 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 2
Villa Real Business Park (Consett) (B1 uses only) 1.35
Westline Industrial Estate 2.05
Total 47.9
South Durham Site Area (hectares, net)
All Saints Industrial Estate (Shildon) 6.15
Aycliffe Business Park (North) 18.7
Aycliffe Business Park (South) 22
Beechburn Industrial Estate (Crook) 8.97
Chilton Industrial Estate 8.08
Dans Castle Industrial Estate (Tow Law) 0.96
Dean and Chapter Industrial Estate (Ferryhill) 0.23
Fishburn Industrial Estate 1.59
Green Lane (Spennymoor) 14.35
Land at Tow Law (Inkerman) 1.24
Low Willington Industrial Estate 6.95
South Church Enterprise Park (Bishop Auckland) 7.18
Total 96.4
East Durham Site Area (hectares, net) Foxcover Industrial Estate (Seaham) 1.40
Land at Hawthorn 18.85
Peterlee North West Industrial Estate 15.2
Peterlee South West Industrial Estate 10.8
Sea View Industrial Estate (Horden) 1.60
Shotton Colliery Industrial Estate 0.36
Total 48.21
West Durham Site Area (hectares, net)
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 13 2 County Durham Plan
Eastgate 2.00
Harmire Industrial Park (Barnard Castle) 2.00
Land at Shaw Bank (Barnard Castle) 6.7
Randolph Coke Works (Evenwood) 2.66
Stainton Grove Industrial Estate (Barnard Castle) 4.14
Total 17.5
County Durham Total 297.43(a)
a. Please note this list does not include Aykley Heads
14 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
3 Delivery Areas
Countywide
Countywide Physical Infrastructure
Walking and Cycling Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure
Rights of Way are a major GI component as they are the crucial link connecting people to both urban and rural green spaces, and are often ‘gateways’ to tourist attractions, as well as important habitat and wildlife corridors. Improvements to existing and new Rights of Way will therefore include GI features.
3.1 The County hosts over 3,500kms of Public Rights of Way and over 140kms of railway paths as well as several long distance routes, National Trails, cycle lanes and tracks, quiet roads, lanes and permissive routes which provide opportunities for commuters and leisure users. This is alongside facilities such as Hamsterley Forest which has high quality off-road walking and cycling trails for all abilities and Hardwick Park with excellent family and recreational facilities.
3.2 Local travel options will be promoted through ongoing improvements to the existing cycle and footpath networks including the existing National Cycle Network and other nationally promoted trails. As economic growth is the overarching priority of the Plan, Cycling Super Routes and Secondary routes that connect our 12 major towns have been identified in the CDP as part of a long term strategy to improve the cycling network. In order to promote sustainable travel, the Cycle Super Routes and Secondary Routes are a priority for investment.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 15 3 Delivery Areas
Map 1 Proposed Cycle Super Routes and Secondary Routes
3.3 As it would be too expensive to develop the whole network at the same time, the IDP will set out key sections where we we are prioritising investment. The Cycling Super Routes are aligned along combination of highways, existing public rights of way and nationally promoted cycling and walking routes.
3.4 The CDP states that development proposals need to promote sustainable travel through a transport statement or by a transport assessment and travel plan. In addition, every new development will include high quality, attractive, convenient pedestrian and cycle routes which interconnect to the nearest existing infrastructure.
3.5 Walking and cycling infrastructure in County Durham is delivered by the Council (with inter-connecting routes delivered by neighbouring authorities), Sustrans, public and private landowners (e.g. Forestry Commission, individuals), environmental organisations and trusts (e.g. Groundwork), private developers and partnerships (e.g. Area Action Partnerships). Good communication between partners is essential to create a comprehensive and well delivered physical network of paths and routes.
16 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Rail Network
3.6 County Durham has historically benefited from strong inter and intra-regional rail links. This is still evident at Durham Station which has an hourly service to London, as well as regular direct links to Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, the West Midlands and the south west. The County’s other remaining passenger routes have low line speeds and infrequent services which can make them uncompetitive with other modes.
3.7 The ability of business to transport goods and raw materials is essential to the efficient functioning of the economy. The County acts as a conduit for freight traffic passing through to other parts of the UK. Rail freight services are however currently limited with no major inter-modal freight terminals. While the majority of freight within the County will continue to use the road network, it is important that there are viable alternatives to road transport as well as providing alternative routes by road freight.
Green Infrastructure
GI can be embedded into rail infrastructure in a number of ways that relate to train stations as part of land surrounding railways. In order to create the right image for passengers, GI can be deployed in order to create the setting for investment or as part of an environmental improvement package for rail infrastructure.
3.8 East Coast Main Line (ECML): Owned by Network Rail, the ECML includes stations in Durham and Chester-le-Street. Passenger services are operated by East Coast, First Trans Pennine, Arriva Cross Country and Northern and there are various operators of freight services. A main issue is that the line operates as both a local line (e.g. for commuters) and a long distance express railway, which means there is a limit to the number of additional stations and services that can be added. There is an imbalance in the number of services to Durham station at different times of the day and too few services to Chester-le-Street.
3.9 Durham Coast Rail Line: Owned by Network Rail, on the line this is the only station in County Durham is at Seaham. Passenger services are operated by Northern (iii) and there are various freight operators. The main issues are that services are infrequent and there are speed restrictions on the line. There is the possibility of a new station being developed at Horden, further details are provided in the East delivery area section.
3.10 Leamside Line: This line runs from Tursdale Junction near Ferryhill to Pelaw in Gateshead via the west side of Durham and Washington, running close to the Nissan plant but not the residential parts of Washington. The line also runs to the west of South Hylton where the metro line from Sunderland terminates. It was mothballed in 1992 when the ECML was electrified and declared adequate for traffic demands at the time. Since then there has been a significant growth in passenger and freight traffic on the ECML which is now close to capacity between Northallerton and Newcastle.
iii There is another service by Grand Central that runs through the County, but it does not stop at Seaham.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 17 3 Delivery Areas
3.11 The Leamside Line would be a significant and regionally important piece of transport infrastructure in providing additional capacity to relieve the existing two track railway between Northallerton and Newcastle. Alternatively it could potentially be a high speed route by virtue of its largely straight alignment. Since the last services were withdrawn, the Council has tried to preserve the corridor however estimated reinstatement costs of up to £100m have prevented any progress in reopening the line. More recently there has been support from the NELEP, Nexus, Network Rail and Highways Agency who recognise the potential of the line as a cost-effective way of addressing the capacity issues on the A1(M) Western by-pass. The reinstatement of the Leamside Line also has the support of from other local authorities including Sunderland City Council, South Tyneside and Newcastle/Gateshead who protect the route in their Local Plan.
3.12 Freight distribution terminals will be safeguarded at Tursdale to support the improvement of the freight distribution networks.
Rail Freight: The main opportunity for improving rail freight in County Durham could come through the re-opening of the Leamside Line by providing an alternative route to the ECML. Land availability at Tursdale and Newton Park (Newton Aycliffe) potentially offers an opportunity to develop a major rail freight interchange in County Durham. The Hitachi project in Newton Aycliffe could also significantly contribute towards to the improvement of infrastructure to support the movement of freight by rail within the County. Map 2 Operating Railway Lines and Stations in County Durham
18 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Bus
3.13 Buses form the vast majority of public transport journeys in County Durham (over 25 million journeys in 2011). There is an extensive network throughout the County with more than 200 services covering approximately 4,000 stops. However, the dispersed settlement pattern and rural nature of the County means that some areas have better public transport accessibility than others. Urban areas and settlements close to key roads tend to have better connections and a higher frequency of service than those in rural areas.
3.14 Providing an effective bus service requires a successful partnership between the Council and commercial bus operators. The operators, while the Council helps to work towards providing and maintaining reliable, attractive and accessible bus services, to create and maintain an environment with the right level of information, customer care and safety. Together with the provision of bus related infrastructure (such as shelters and stops, interchanges and bus stations), the Council and operators allow people across the County to take advantage of bus transport.
3.15 The majority (80%) of passengers are carried by bus services operated on a commercial basis which typically operate on routes between major centres and other settlements both within and outside of the County. Go North East and Arriva are the dominant bus operators in the County; Go North East operate mostly in the northern half of the county and Arriva operate mostly in the south. There are also a number of smaller bus operators that provide services on a more local basis and all operators are responsible for investment in the bus fleet, ticketing and frequency of journeys and routes.
3.16 The Council also provides financial support (£3.3m per annum) to a number of ‘socially necessary’ bus services that are not otherwise commercially viable. Discussions with neighbouring authorities will identify cross boundary corridors that need to be improved, particularly in relation to development sites near to the County boundary. This will ensure comprehensive bus links with key destinations outside the County Durham area.
3.17 The allocation of sites up to year 2030 will enable the Council to work with developers to identify deficiencies and focus required improvements to bus services and infrastructure. The Council will work in partnership with commercial bus operators to inform them of the location and scale of proposed developments and, where appropriate, to build new routes/services into their investment plans or cost possible improvements to bus services as sites come forward. The opportunity for using the CIL to fund required bus service improvements for a number of sites will be explored. Section 106 funding will continue to be secured for individual sites.
3.18 Whilst the spending reductions have had a significant impact on the provision of services operating under subsidy, the vast majority of the network (80%) has continued to be provided by operators on a commercial basis. As the subsidised services are less well used, 95% of bus passenger journeys have been unaffected by the cuts in bus services. During weekdays, all areas that are not served by conventional bus services have continued to be served by the ‘Link2’ dial-a-ride. On weekday evenings, most parts of the County have continued to have a bus service until around 8pm with the best-used
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 19 3 Delivery Areas
subsidised services continuing until late evening. On Sundays, a core network has continued to operate commercially on the busiest routes, although the withdrawal of subsidised services mean that many places now have no bus service at all.
3.19 Transit 15 aims to provide better accessibility for people through improved bus priority and service improvements on seven key travel corridors into Durham City. It includes implementation of over 20 individual schemes where congestion and delay adversely affects bus journey times. The seven corridors into Durham City include: Birtley, Bishop Auckland, Consett, Coxhoe, Crook, Sherburn and Stanley. The scheme will continue to build on past investment in bus stations, bus stops, real-time information, bus priority and new vehicles by the Council and bus operators. Regional funding of £5million was made available to cover the cost of most of the improvements but additional funding may be required from LTP3 to complete the scheme.
Highways
3.20 The efficient movement of freight and people is crucial to a functioning economy. The majority of people in County Durham are reliant on road infrastructure for transport. The settlement pattern of 12 main centres and 300 smaller dispersed settlements does not lend itself to efficient and effective public transport.
3.21 The Highways Agency has responsibility for maintaining and improving the Strategic Road Network (SRN) - the A19, A66 and the A1(M). The Council has responsibility for maintaining and improving the entire local road network as well as delivering LTP3 for County Durham. In terms of congestion or traffic 'hotspots' both the Highways Agency and the Highway Authority have a good understanding of where and when they occur in County Durham.
3.22 As part of the County Durham Plan, modelling has been undertaken by the Highways Agency to assess the impact of the Plan. The cumulative impact of the proposed housing and employment sites was modelled in 2012 by the Highways Agency and recommended priorities for investment to highways and junctions. The modelling assessed the impact of 43,000 houses so went beyond the cumulative impact of the proposed housing allocations in a bid to highlight where potential pressure points could arise on the Strategic Road Network. The Traffic modelling(iv)work indicates that the area where the most significant increases in journey times occur is on the approach to Junction 63 of the A1(M) at Chester-le-Street. Elsewhere in the County, If investment is provided in a timely manner then unacceptable impact upon the highways network in terms of traffic growth and congestion is likely to be avoided.
3.23 The localised impact of traffic growth linked to the housing allocations in each settlement has though been assessed by the Authorities Highway Officers as part of the site allocation process.
iv Highways Agency - County Durham Plan Meso Modelling 2012
20 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Green Infrastructure
The public realm associated within highways, and the spaces required for them means they are ideal hosts of GI. Streets, verges, medians and highway boundaries are well suited to ensuring that GI is built into the initial design of new roads and retrofitted to current roads. Well designed and located tree planting, meadow, or sustainable urban drainage or multi user routes alongside roads can be beneficial to bring higher quality landscape, air quality improvements, reduced run off, improved quality of place and perceptions of areas, biodiversity benefits and increased sustainable transport use and health.
3.24 The Strategic Road Network in County Durham: The A1(M) motorway is one of the County's most important economic assets in terms of facilitating strategic access to, from and within the central corridor of County Durham. It provides the north-south link through the centre of the County ultimately connecting the South of England with the Scottish border. Newton Aycliffe, Sedgefield, Spennymoor, Durham City and Chester-le-Street are all located close to this nationally important economic/transport corridor.
3.25 The A19 provides a north-south link through the east of the County linking Peterlee and Seaham to Tyne & Wear and Tees Valley. The A66 provides an east-west link to the A1(M) in the east to the M6 in the west which is the main north-south strategic highway link in the North West of England.
3.26 The Highways Agency see reducing congestion on the A1(M) Western Bypass as their priority. Relations are being forged with neighbouring authorities to improve traffic management across boundaries. Urban Traffic Management Control is a key cross boundary issue and there is a proposed joint system being considered across Tyne and Wear.
3.27 Map 3 shows that the County's population centres are close to the SRN which are coloured blue. The map also shows the major local roads in County Durham.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 21 3 Delivery Areas
Map 3 Main Settlement Population Comparison
3.28 The Local Road Network in County Durham: The principal or A-road network through the County supplements the longer distance role of the strategic north-south routes through the County as well as providing east-west and more localised connectivity to services and employment. These A roads are known as 'economic/transport corridors' in the LTP3. Each corridor will be prioritised for improvement over the life of the LTP3. Progress will of course depend on the level of funding available each year.
3.29 The key A-roads in County Durham are:
A690* provides linkage between Durham City and Sunderland in the east and to Crook & Weardale in the west; A691* provides connectivity from Consett in the west into Durham City; A692* provides connectivity to Tyne & Wear for Derwentside and the north west of the County; A693* is the main lateral corridor in the north of the County, linking Consett, Stanley and Chester-le-Street, A167* links Chester-le-Street in the north and Newton Aycliffe in the south of the County; A177 links Sedgefield and NETPark to the A1(M); A66 is a key route to Cumbria in the south west of the county, connecting locally with Darlington and the TeesValley;
22 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
A68 has a tourist role to/from the Scottish Borders and links Consett and Tow Law to the west of the County as well as linking the County with Northumberland; A688 is the main corridor linking the A1(M) and serving the rural Teesdale and providing access to the A66; A689 is the main lateral corridor serving rural Weardale, the mid-part of the County and linking with Cumbria; and A694 is a key route from Consett into Newcastle via Rowlands Gill.
*The A167, A692, A693, A691 and A690 are priority corridors in the first 3 years of LTP3
3.30 With County Durham being predominantly rural, there are also some significant B roads that play an important social role and supporting role to the transport/economic corridors within County Durham, especially roads that link settlements in the rural west.
3.31 From April 2014 local transport authority powers will pass to the Combined Authority (v) which will become the local transport authority for the LA7 area. The Combined Authority will be known as the North East Leadership Board and will cover Durham, Northumberland, and the five Tyne and Wear districts (Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland). The Combined Authority will be responsible for developing a single Local Transport Plan and coordinating strategic transport decisions, but will delegate back to Durham County Council the powers to continue managing local public transport services. The councils hope to secure the necessary Parliamentary Order enabling the Combined Authority to be set up from 1 April 2014.
Junction Improvements
Junction improvements on the A167, A692, A693, A691 and A690 have been prioritised in the first 3 years (2013/14 being the first of these). These corridors were selected due to their importance for the movement of goods and people to the County's economy and relate to Transit 15 bus services.
3.32 The IDP highlights major and minor junction improvements that are required around the County to facilitate development growth. The individual schemes are listed in each delivery area and are illustrated on the area maps using a yellow hexagon. (They are not all labelled on the maps as there are too many minor improvements in certain areas). Some of the major road improvements are labelled on the maps.
3.33 Durham County Council has commenced a 6 year project to replaces 45,000 street lights across the County with state-of-the-art LED lights. The lights are greener and cheaper to run and will see carbon emissions from street lights which are part of the project reduced by 73% and save around £24m over a 25 year period.
v http://democracy.durham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=154&MId=7193&Ver=4
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 23 3 Delivery Areas
Water Management
3.34 A critical component of the infrastructure required to support new development is associated with water; the provision of clean water for domestic drinking and washing and industrial processes; the safe disposal of wastewater; and protection from flooding. In County Durham, the key issue relating to water infrastructure and strategic planning, is the timing of Northumbrian Water's (NWL) investment in Sewage Treatment Works (STWs).
3.35 There are three key organisations involved in water management in County Durham, including NWL, the Council, and the Environment Agency. As a key part of the Infrastructure planning process, the three organisations above have been working together on the The Water Cycle Study (WCS), which includes a Surface Water Management Plan and the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. The WCS assesses the potential impacts of growth on:
Water supply; Water sewerage treatment plants; Water quality; and Surface water flooding
3.36 Impact of development on water resources and water supply network: NWL has two Water Resource Zones (WRZ); Kielder WRZ and Berwick WRZ. County Durham falls within the Kielder WRZ which is not forecast to experience a deficit in water resources or water supply in the long term. The River Wear and Tees are regulated by the presence of Kielder Water; Northern Europe’s largest man-made lake which has capacity to hold 200,000ML of water. The Kielder Water Scheme allows transfers to be made between the major north east catchments and allows water resources to be used to a fuller extent if and when needed. In addition there is also Derwent Reservoir within the County. There is sufficient resource in the WRZ to address future demand.
3.37 In terms of the supply network, NWL has reviewed the CDP housing allocation sites. Investment will be required to address poor water pressure and getting water to sites at a higher elevation.
3.38 Impact of development on sewerage treatment works (STW): Due to the large geography of County Durham the provision of STWs is one of the major infrastructure challenges in County Durham. There are around 70 water sewerage treatment plants in the County, (59 of which will be affected by suitable sites within the SHLAA) as well as an extensive river network. As part of the WCS, NWL provided the catchment areas for each of their STWs which enabled the forecast housing development to be grouped by STW so that the cumulative impact of development could be evaluated.
3.39 Map 8 below highlights the following issues in the existing STW capacity in County Durham in relation to future potential development sites.
24 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Map 4 - Sewage Treatment Works Headroom
3.40 The current investment plan being used by NWL is called AMP 5 which runs from April 2010 to March 2015. The Council have been working closely with NWL to influence the investment planning for AMP 6 which runs from April 2015 to March 2020. Some of the priorities for AMP 6 are set out in this document.
3.41 Water quality: There are a number of watercourses across County Durham that are currently failing EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) targets and are at risk of not achieving WFD objectives by 2015. The reason for the failures may in part be because of discharges from STWs and the Environment Agency has a programme of measures to improve these watercourses.
Green Infrastructure
GI should be a key principle underpinning the effective management of water and flooding. Green solutions such as Sustainable Urban Drainage systems, and green roofs all the way up to managed realignment and new wetlands all provide opportunities to improve access, biodiversity, increased perceptions and recreation, as well as delivering high quality water management solutions. GI can play a role in slowing down urban flow and also improve water quality as required through the Water Framework Directive.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 25 3 Delivery Areas
3.42 Surface water: Flooding from surface water presents a risk across County Durham, particularly in the urban areas. New developments present the best opportunities to manage the risk of surface water flooding - particularly the development of combined sewer networks.
3.43 NWL projects are funded through a 5-year Asset Management Plan worth around £80m which will focus on improvements to the sewage and drainage network (see the IDP schedule). The Council will work in partnership with NWL to highlight when development sites are coming forward to help influence NWLs investment schedule. The CDP will include policies that protect and enhance the water environment, making prudent use of water resources and encouraging the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS).
Broadband
3.44 Internet usage has boomed in the last 15 years and now plays a key role as a communication tool for people and businesses in every industrial sector across the world. The Government has pledged to ensure that the UK has the best superfast(vi) broadband network in Europe by 2014/15. An effective broadband network supports economic growth, gives consumers greater choice and prices will be reduced. The delivery of public services will be more efficient, cost effective and more inclusive.
3.45 The County’s broadband infrastructure is largely delivered and managed by private sector providers but in some more sparsely populated areas the public sector is involved in addressing gaps. The availability, quality and costs of broadband vary substantially across the County.
3.46 Factors that affect broadband quality include the distance of the line from the telephone exchange serving it, the gauge and quality of the wires or cable, the number of connections on the line between the exchange and the premises, interference from radios or electrical equipment, and the quality of the equipment customers use. Although the internet can be accessed wirelessly in some locations, broadband is traditionally delivered through wired and fibre optic networks, which are more cost effective in urban areas.
3.47 In March 2012, County Durham and Gateshead’s joint bid for Government investment in its broadband infrastructure was approved as part of a £34m programme. Anticipating that the telecoms companies would deliver superfast broadband to just 40% of the County, the Digital Durham programme will ensure 100% of properties in the County have superfast broadband by the end of 2016/17. Key objectives include:
Renovated computer equipment for individuals, families and communities through the Digital Skills 4 Durham (DS4D) programme by the end of 2011/12; A network of Local Broadband Champions in all of the areas targeted for improved access to digital services with an associated training and engagement plan by then end of 2012; Public internet WiFi access from all Council occupied buildings by the end of 2012/13; 60% of premises to have 30 Mbps or greater by the end of 2013/14 Public internet WiFi access from all community buildings by the end of 2014/15;
vi 24 Mbps or greater
26 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
90% of premises to have 30 Mbps or greater by the end of 2014/15 and 100% of remaining premises to have at least 2Mbps; and 100% of premises to have 30 Mbps or greater by the end of 2016/17.
3.48 The Digital Durham programme focuses on upgrades to physical networks and broadband exchanges within County Durham and Gateshead. Generally these exchange areas are relatively small because, as outlined above, the quality of both WiFi and wired broadband deteriorates rapidly as the distance from the exchange increases. Although some exchange areas may cross into other local authority areas, County Durham would benefit little from upgrades to exchanges outside the County in the same way that other local authority areas will benefit little from improvements in County Durham.
3.49 The CDP will facilitate the development of additional residential and non-residential properties, which is likely to drive demand for broadband. Most businesses will demand a reasonable standard of broadband, so new commercial property should be primarily developed in and around larger towns and villages which will offer the best choice of broadband providers and the highest speeds. All property with public access that is owned by the Council will have good quality broadband, so the CDP should also try to focus new development close to public facilities in town centres whenever possible.
Energy
3.50 Northern Powergrid is responsible for delivering electricity to homes across County Durham and Northern Gas Networks is responsible for delivering gas. The County has 27 primary electricity sub-stations which have enough power to supply 12,000 homes, Secondary sub-stations spread across the County provide at a very local level for around 400 homes. The gas network includes pipelines that supply premises across the County.
3.51 The supply of electricity and gas is a vital part of the County’s infrastructure (energy suppliers have made a commitment to make the transition to more sustainable forms of energy) and there has also been a recent trend in new domestic and business solar photovoltaic and wind installations (less than 5MW) due in part to the 20 to 25 year feed-in tariff (FiT) payments that are available. With FiT levels reduced from April 2012, it is likely that installations of Solar PV will taper off' however the FiT remains a key driver in the installation of small scale wind and micro hydro.
3.52 The renewable heat incentive (RHI) is also a key driver that will increase the use of low and zero carbon technologies that generate heat. The RHI, due to start in 2013, will support installations of heat pump technologies, solar thermal and biomass technologies.
3.53 In County Durham large-scale wind energy developments are unlikely to continue on the same scale as in the last 5 years because of constraints on remaining sites.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 27 3 Delivery Areas
Green Infrastructure & Renewable Energy
GI has a role to play in providing high quality mitigation, enhancement and compensation for schemes, such as providing structural woodland planting for wind farms, or for providing a resource for biomass facilities. The application of GI within renewable energy development can lead to enhancements for access, biodiversity and improved recreational areas for health.
3.54 The developments proposed in the CDP do not concern Northern Gas Network or in terms of any major new capital investments and they are confident that they can improve the network as development sites come forward over the plan period. The main investment priorities relate to the maintenance of the County’s electricity and gas networks in order to maintain services and meet regulations. There is a continuing emphasis for energy suppliers to make the transition to renewable energy sources as well as the development of new technology that supports it. More energy efficient home appliances and the ongoing economic downturn are combining to reduce overall demand for energy. Other energy challenges include:
The growing use of photovoltaic and small-scale wind turbines to generate energy means electricity sub-stations need to be upgraded to enable them to manage supply and demand in changing weather conditions and different times of the day.
In some areas, particularly those without gas, there is growing use of heat pumps which use electricity to generate heat and can lead to power surges, especially during mornings.
A surge in the demand for electric vehicles could also lead to the need for significant infrastructure upgrades. This is needed in order to respond to additional demands for electricity which may contrast with traditional consumption patterns (e.g. growing demand at traditional off-peak times of the day).
Electric Vehicles
3.55 For both economic and environmental reasons it is important to assist the development of the low carbon economy in particular with the North East being a low carbon economic area. An element of this new economic outlook is looking to more sustainable travel and support for a growing market for electric vehicles in the region. As part of this approach, the provision of electric charging points within the public realm needs to be pursued to provide the essential confidence for drivers arising from range anxiety.
Business Premises
3.56 Durham County Council will invest approximately £865,000 in their Industrial Properties Refurbishment Programme, which covers premises across the County and will be completed by the end of 2013/14 financial year.
28 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Countywide Social Infrastructure
School Places
3.57 There are 282 schools in County Durham and one Pupil Referral Unit that provides education for pupils permanently excluded from mainstream school:
34 Secondary Schools (including 14 Academies and 1 Free School)
10 Special Schools
186 Primary Schools
19 Junior Schools
21 Infant Schools
12 Nursery Schools
3.58 County Durham is in a period of net inward migration which means that some young families are moving into the County and increasing the current and future need for school places. It is expected that there will be in the region of 2,700(vii) more primary aged school pupils by 2022 than there are in 2012. This will have a significant impact on the future pattern and provision of school places in the primary sector. In contrast, the impact on secondary school provision is not likely to be as significant.
3.59 While it is not cost effective to maintain large numbers of surplus places in schools, local authorities cannot and should not try to eliminate all surplus capacity. A certain level of surplus places is necessary because:
It allows greater opportunity to respond to parental choice;
There may be unpredicted changes to demographic patterns, with a sudden influx of children to particular areas; and
There may be unexpected changes to house building patterns.
3.60 There is no single 'ideal' level of overall surplus capacity, since this varies from authority to authority. It is reasonable to aim for between 5% and 10% overall surplus across the Authority. Patterns show that a reasonable figure for urban areas is around 5% whereas in more rural areas it is around 10%. It is recognised that in some rural areas in County Durham it may be difficult to achieve this target. Future capital investment in schools will reflect Government initiatives; any additional funding will be used to improve the condition and suitability of buildings and the provision of additional school places where required.
vii Durham County Council, Children and Young People's Service, Pupil Place Planning (PPP)
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 29 3 Delivery Areas
GP Surgeries and Health Care
3.61 The population growth of 4% experienced in County Durham between 2001 and 2011 has been absorbed by healthcare facilities. The population of County Durham is projected to increase by 5.2% by 2021 (to 539,900 people), rising to 560,700 people by 2030, (a 9.3% increase from 2011). This will place substantial pressure on existing community and primary care infrastructure. There is limited capacity within the health sector to fund new infrastructure projects. A further consideration is the workforce impact of population growth, ensuring sufficient clinical staff will be available to meet patient need.
3.62 County Durham has an increasingly ageing population and the proportion of the county’s population aged 65 or over will increase from almost one in five people (18%, 2011) to nearly one in four people (23.8%) by 2030. As the age of the population increases there is an increase in healthcare demand, with consultation rates in general practice rising substantially along with contacts with secondary care services. It is likely that the ageing population would place substantial pressure on existing facilities; therefore population growth is unlikely to be absorbed by the current facilities. Commissioners are currently assessing the impact of this level of population growth on their commissioning intentions.
3.63 The assessment outlined in the IDP merely identifies hot-spots, or areas where there is likely to be a requirement for investment in additional consulting space in general practice based on current patterns of care. The assessment assumes that each additional house will result in additional population due to the level of population growth anticipated. This population growth was assumed at 2.1 persons per household. No funding is currently in place to support either the capital investment in building clinical space or the recurrent revenue costs to commissioners once the building works are complete. The financial information in the IDP Schedule relates only to the initial capital cost of building the extra premises and does not include the recurrent revenue costs. However, the health authority have to usually provide the recurring rental cost of premises.
3.64 A locality approach has been taken in calculating impact as the final location of patients in general practice is driven by patient choice. There may be some localised impacts from growth in list sizes at individual practices. A more detailed assessment of premises capacity is currently underway and will inform strategic healthcare facility planning along with the local authority plans.
3.65 The two principle providers of secondary and community health care are:
Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
3.66 The health improvement agenda in County Durham will greatly benefit from the implementation of the Green Infrastructure (GI) strategy, in particular the commitment to:
Public open spaces: parks and gardens, amenity open space, allotments, sports grounds, burial grounds, children's playgrounds, and publicly-accessible semi-natural spaces.
30 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Countryside around towns: The areas within and around settlements where improvements can make the greatest difference to people's living environments, especially where the landscape has been degraded by industry in the past.
Visitor Economy
3.67 Durham is a vibrant, green, historical and cultural destination. Alongside buildings of global importance such as the World Heritage Site and numerous castles it has nationally and internationally recognised fine landscapes such as the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, national nature reserves and sites of special scientific interest.
3.68 There are approximately 70 visitor attractions in the County. The most visited are Durham Cathedral (600,000), Beamish Museum (500,000), Locomtion (218,000), Hamsterley Forest (179,000), World Heritage Visitor Centre (169,000), Durham County Cricket Club (136,000), Adventure Valley (117,000) and The Bowes Museum (115,000).
3.69 There are approximately 650 accommodation businesses with over 15,000 bed spaces including hotels, hostels, campsites and guest houses. (viii)
3.70 County Durham is home to the Emirates International Durham Cricket Stadium which hosts international test and one day cricket, County cricket and music concerts. Sedgefield Racecourse also holds horse racing and other events throughout the year and there are numerous golf courses and leisure/sport attractions throughout the County.
3.71 The County is expanding its marketing campaign and has a growing programme of annual events that have regional pull and a programme of signature events with national reputations. Signature events began in 2009 with Lumiere in Durham City and the British Library loan of the Lindisfarne Gospels will be the County’s signature event for 2013. Key headline events have established an economic impact and alongside the growing portfolio of attractions and destinations are likely to lead to increase demand for visitor accommodation, This will be supported b Visit County Durham, the tourism destination management for the County and managed through the normal planning process.
3.72 The DTMaP prepared by Visit County Durham includes a full list of gaps and challenges in the County Durham tourism product. The DTMaP seeks to establish a priority basis for supporting developments and investments within the tourism sector. Examples of types of activities include:-
Establishing critical mass of nationally recognised attractions in the City;
Expanding Durham’s portfolio of family attractions;
Attractions and product which animate the rural tourism area;
Establishing the need for a distinctive retail offer;
viii this includes seasonal university accommodation
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 31 3 Delivery Areas
Defining meetings and conference facilities required to service market demand (ix); and
Proactively attracting National Trust and English Heritage developments.
3.73 Road, rail, bus and signage improvements across the County will all support the growth of the County's visitor economy.
Emergency Services
3.74 Emergency services are vital for residents and businesses across the County and are very much affected by the quality of the County’s infrastructure. The emergency services has been updated with the progress of the County Durham Plan to ensure they are aware of future development areas in the County Durham.
3.75 Emergency services are provided by Durham Constabulary, the North East Ambulance Services (funded by the PCT), County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and law courts are provided by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.
3.76 The police are a key delivery agency in providing and maintaining sustainable communities. This goes beyond provision of physical building assets. Any new household will require policing services for a range of issues throughout their lifetime. For example:
CRB checks of any supervisors involved with any activities their children may be involved with (e.g. sports clubs) Dealing with any crime , e.g. burglary, car crime and violence against the person Dealing with other calls for service such as anti-social behaviour, road traffic incidents and public events Introducing speed reduction initiatives if this becomes an issue on their estate or at their school There are also a range of covert/intelligence services provided, which are not visible to the local community but nonetheless vital to ensuring public protection
3.77 There are currently no geographical deficits in service provision by Durham Constabulary. With regard to estate projects there is a new headquarters currently being built at Aykley Heads in Durham City. As a result, some staff are being re-located around the County. The training centre at Meadowfield is being expanded and a new facility is being developed at a new property in Peterlee. Chester-le-Street and Peterlee police stations have also been refurbished with additional staff moving from the HQ site and a new town centre station is planned at Newton Aycliffe. Generally there is a commitment to utilise existing assets and not to shut local police stations. However the police estates team may look to re-locate where they can find a better premises in the same location. Where possible, the police would also like to have a presence in community buildings and co-locate with other services to make the stations more accessible to the public.’
ix Market assessment currently being completed
32 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
3.78 Despite an increased number of walk-in centres, the ambulance service is always stretched. Ongoing changes to delivery of hospital services such as the centralisation of specialist services (e.g. neurosurgery at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough) may mean crews have to make longer trips.
3.79 Fire stations in County Durham have capacity to accommodate a degree of housing growth. The Fire and Rescue Service are however, re-locating from their Framwellgate Moor headquarters. They will be operating a new training facility (including stores and workshops) at Bowburn, a control centre at Belmont and a new Fire Station at Sniperley. The existing Headquarters at Framwellgate Moor will not be vacated until the New Fire Station at Sniperley is completed.
3.80 Public sector organisations often need to be located in towns that have good public transport access, so there are potential opportunities for co-location with other public sector organisations and services that support the physical regeneration of key towns. The location and access for each is paramount, therefore infrastructure improvements in the CDP which leads to lower congestion mean emergency services can react more quickly.
Libraries
3.81 Library services form a key part of the social infrastructure in major and smaller settlements as well as an important role in promoting social inclusion and interactions and supporting learning and leisure activities. The service is facing challenges due to changes in the way people access and communicate information and will require the service to continue to adapt in the future.
3.82 Durham County Council delivers the library service which consists of:
A network of 39 libraries in town centres and communities and a support service that delivers books to and between libraries.
An outreach service that includes books delivered directly to people in their homes and includes some care homes, a prison library service, a mobile library service that delivers to isolated villages in the rural west of the county and a web-based library catalogue.
3.83 Almost 84,000 people regularly use the library service to borrow books. Customers of libraries do not necessarily use a library close to their own homes although this is undoubtedly the preferred method in smaller settlements. People travel to libraries from across the county and neighbouring settlements, or, some may use a library near to where they work or when they are shopping nearby.
3.84 The Council recognises that in order to provide services in the most cost effective way in the future services should be co-located with other council services where there are efficiencies to be made and shared benefits for local people and the council. A number of new developments have been completed in the past two years in a move to modernise and reduce costs, these include the relocation of Crook library, a new facility at Pelton as
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 33 3 Delivery Areas
part of a new GP practice, linking Esh Winning library to a new school and co-locating the library with a cultural facility in Barnard Castle. In addition there are a number of other proposed projects that are being worked-up in Stanley and Newton Aycliffe.
Sports Facilities
3.85 Sports facilities are delivered by a mix of organisations. The majority of sports halls and facilities are owned and managed by the Council (either in its leisure services capacity or as an education authority). The Council currently provides 19 indoor sport and leisure facilities across the County, many of which were constructed in the 1970s and early 1980s. Fourteen of these are managed directly by the Sport and Leisure Service and five are managed under contract by third party organisations.
3.86 There are also a significant number of sports facilities delivered by private sports clubs and through a range of private organisations including commercial sport providers and also private hotels. The private market has expanded into health and fitness provision (which may include pool provision), but the private sector still plays a smaller role across County Durham than it does in England as a whole.
3.87 Due to the County’s profile, there are sizeable differences in the levels of sports provision in different areas of County Durham.
Table 4 Level of Sports Facility Provision in the County
Type of Number Commentary Sports Facility
Swimming 10 of the 28 swimming pools 98.9% of unmet demand across Durham pools are open to the general is because of poor accessibility as there public is no pool within reasonable travelling distance 18 are either used for private members, connection with an education establishment or a hotel
Sports halls 69 sports halls on 47 sites Overall County Durham has a higher (Over half are within schools level of provision than the national and and colleges) regional averages. Supply of badminton courts is average for the region and 1 university, 1 private and 1 above the national average. In overall community facility terms sports hall capacity used at peak times is below the national regional average.(x)
x According to Sport England’s Building Facilities Model January 2010
34 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Type of Number Commentary Sports Facility
Health & 73 health and fitness Provision in County Durham falls below fitness gyms facilities. The Council has 15 both the national and regional averages. sites (21%) providing 851 Durham City has a high level of provision stations (31%). The which puts it in the upper quartile of Local commercial sector has 31 Authorities in the country. Teesdale’s sites (42%) providing 254 level of provision, by contrast, sits within stations (45%). The the lower quartile of local authority education sector has 14 sites provision levels (xi). (19%) providing 287 stations (10%)
Athletics 10 outdoor athletics tracks, There are enough synthetic tracks to tracks 3 synthetic and 7 cinder serve the current population and existing participation levels, but there is a need for an indoor facility.
Synthetic turf 10 full size, floodlit synthetic Provision of STPs per 1,000 populations pitches turf pitches is below the national average, existing (STPs) facilities are not geographically well spread.
Indoor tennis No facilities There are no indoor tennis facilities in facilities County Durham, the nearest facilities are in Sunderland and Teesside.
Golf courses 22 golf courses (3 courses Higher than average number of courses are provided at 1 facility) and per 1,000 population. 5 driving ranges
Indoor bowls 9 indoor bowls facilities Well provided for with the number above the national average.
Cricket To be confirmed Will be assessed in the % year Playing pitches Pitch Strategy for County Durham and the Playing Pitch Action Plan.
Football To be confirmed Will be assessed in the % year Playing pitches Pitch Strategy for County Durham and the Playing Pitch Action Plan.
xi According to Sport England’s Active Places Power Tool (2010)
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 35 3 Delivery Areas
3.88 Sports provision across boundaries must be taken into consideration. Sunderland Olympic swimming pool means that Council are unlikely to build a 50 metre pool in County Durham. There are more synthetic athletics tracks outside of the County boundary that may serve some of its residents, e.g. Silksworth & Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, Eastbourne in TeesValley and Wentworth in Northumberland.
3.89 Whilst the predicted growth in population and housing numbers in County Durham is not hugely significant, there is still likely to be increased pressure on existing sports facilities and demand for new provision. The geographic location of sports facilities should be aligned with additional housing plans set out in the County Durham Plan.
3.90 Work is currently being carried out to assess current indoor and outdoor facilities taking in to account growth projections, along with exploring the possibilities of co-location of services and facilities. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
36 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
North Durham
Walking & Cycling
Current spending on Walking and Cycling includes improving links from the Chester-le-Street rail station to the town centre
Rail Network
3.91 There is an imbalance in the number of services to Durham station at different times of the day and too few services to Chester-le-Street. Chester-le-Street already has significant passenger flows in excess of 197,000 per annum with strong commuter flows to the Tyneside conurbation. An enhanced service to one train per hour would consolidate Chester-le-Street’s position as an access point to and from the national network, contributing to the town’s Destination Delivery Plan and attracting passengers and business from an expanding catchment area. The Council will seek to ensure the next Trans Pennine franchise, likely to commence in 2014, will include additional services to Chester-le-Street station.
Bus
3.92 The location of new developments has a significant influence on future travel patterns. An initial assessment of sites identified as having the potential for residential development has shown that many sites have better levels of public transport accessibility than others. Sites considered to have poor levels of accessibility would be required to provide improvements to bus services and infrastructure as part of planning agreements, these are identified in the table below.
Table 5 - Proposed residential development sites with poor accessibility
Reference CDP Ref Settlement Site name
2/BO/11 HE1 Chester-le-Street Lambton Park
1/CO/89D H26 Consett Muirfield Close
1/CO/42 H28 Consett South Knitsley Lane
2/PE/06 H31 Pelton/Newfield Rear of Elm Avenue
2/SA/17B H33 Sacriston West House Farm
Highways
3.93 Traffic modelling(xii)work indicates that the area where the most significant increases in journey times occur is on the approach to Junction 63 of the A1(M) at Chester-le-Street. The CDP proposals are likely to increase the impact on the junction with a significant increase in delay on the A693 approach to the roundabout and slip roads off the A1. The inclusion of the Durham relief roads will only slightly mitigate the impact at this junction.
xii Highways Agency - County Durham Plan Meso Modelling 2012
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 37 3 Delivery Areas
3.94 Therefore, £3.1m of Durham County Council and Government funding(xiii) has been secured to will take forward a scheme to ease congestion at Junction 63 of the A1M at Chester-le- Street. The scheme will widen the junction of Park Road and Junction 63 (Blind Lane Interchange) which will improve traffic flows through the junction and significantly reduce queues and delays during peak times. The project is anticipated to start in March 2014 and be completed before 2015.
3.95 Priorities for investment to highways and junctions are listed below.(xiv)
Table 6 North Durham Highway Improvements Required
Delivery Settlement Highway Improvements Required Area
North Consett C10a Villa Real realignment Durham A692/A693 Broom Lane roundabout
Stanley A693 roundabout signalisation, Stanley bypass A693/C11 Oxhill traffic signals improvement
Chester-le-Street A167/ Junction 63 A1M improvements A167/A693 Northlands roundabout improvements Picktree roundabout improvements
Rest of North Pelton - A693/C5 junction improvements Durham Burnopfield - A692, at Crookgate Bank realignment Fencehouses - A1052/B1284 junction improvements
Broadband
3.96 It is highly possible that Annfield Plain and the surrounding villages in this area will unlikely to be served by the private sector.
Water Management
Consett - Consett is served by three STWs. There has been recent investment in the main STW at Ebchester and this resolved most capacity issues in the Consett area providing headroom for around 2500 new homes. However, smaller STWs at Crookhall and Knitsley (serving Delves Lane) would have reached capacity in 2018/19 and in 2025/26 respectively, based on current housing projections. For Knitsley there is a work currently on site to upgrade filters to maintain site compliance and headroom exists for housing up to 2025/26 on current housing assumptions For Crookhall a feasibility study is underway for a scheme to be delivered towards the end of AMP5 and early AMP6 to aim to ensure that capacity is in place before 2018/19
xiii Local Pinch Point Fund xiv all LTP3 junction improvements are mapped on the physical infrastructure maps using yellow hexagons
38 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
3.97 Because of the extra capacity provided as part of major capital works at the main Consett STW , NWL do not anticipate any issues with receiving flows from the major sites in Consett.
Stanley - Recent Investment at Hustledown (South Stanley) has resolved capacity problems in this area of Stanley. However, the other main STW serving Stanley at East Tanfield is above headroom now so development in this catchment will need to be managed through the phasing of housing allocations.
3.98 Funding to upgrade East Tanfield STW is being sought as part of the business plan for AMP6. This work should be completed by 2020.
Chester-le-Street - is served by both Birtley and Chester-le-Street STW that both have capacity although for sites on the border of the 2 catchments, there is a current preference that they should be directed to Birtley if possible.
The Environment Agency are leading on Flood Defence work in Chester-le-Street.
Surface Water
3.99 New developments present the best opportunities to manage the risk of surface water flooding, particularly the development of combined sewer networks. NWL have done an initial assessment of the foul and surface water drainage networks across the allocated sites in North Durham. Results show that surface water will need to be carefully managed at the majority of sites in North Durham. The application of Policy 46 of the County Durham Plan will be crucial to managing flood risk .
Town Centres
3.100 Stanley town centre is currently undergoing a programme of public realm works including new paving, lighting, street furniture and highway works which are due to be completed between 2013/14 and 2014/15. Stanley and Consett town centres both have Targeted Business Improvement (TBI) programmes which help support town centre businesses, targeting derelict and underused premises, new business enterprise and private sector investment.
3.101 Chester-le-Street will see transport links and accessibility improvements for visitors, this work is expected to be completed in 2013/14 and will significantly improve the flows and movement of visitors to the town.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 39 3 Delivery Areas
Map 5 Future Physical & Social Infrastructure - North Durham
GP Surgeries and Health Care
3.102 Stanley has a new primary health care facility but there is a demand for extra consulting space in Consett and Chester-le-Street.
Consett - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Consett area at a rate of 2.1 is 8595. There is a requirement for 9 additional consulting spaces.
Chester-le-street - General Practice premises in Chester-le-street are undersized for the existing population. The proposed growth would exacerbate this situation without a confirmed investment plan. The growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Chester-le-street area at a rate of 2.1 is 4952. This would create a requirement for 5 additional consulting spaces in addition to the improvements required to provide for the existing population.
School Places
3.103 Growth is forecast in pupil population for the Derwentside area; primary schools in Stanley and Consett will be affected by rising pupil numbers. Whilst it is anticipated that there will be sufficient school capacity in Stanley, additional primary school places will be required for Consett. Reviews of primary places in the Chester-le-Street area show that
40 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
additional places may be required if housing projections rise any further. Other villages that have primary schools close to capacity and may be affected by significant new housing development include Edmondsley, Leadgate, and Medomsley.
Visitor Economy
3.104 The DTMaP details investment required in tourism attractions and tourist related schemes. These include attractions such as Beamish Museum and Durham County Cricket Club.
Sports Facilities
3.105 A new swimming pool is being developed at Consett as part of the new Academy development on the Belle Vue site and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
3.106 Work is currently being carried out to assess current indoor and outdoor facilities taking in to account growth projections, along with exploring the possibilities of co-location of services and facilities. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
Central Durham
A range of transport Improvements for Durham City are set out in the Durham City Integrated Transport Approach (DITA). Some of the key ones are in this section.
Walking and Cycling Rights of Way -
3.107 The Walking and Cycling Rights of Way Improvement Plan and Cycling Strategy outlines Durham City Access Prioritisation Areas. In addition to the designation of Cycling Super Routes in Cnetral Durham (see CSR map in Countywide Section) there are numerous schemes proposed in the Durham City Integrated Transport Approach. There are two many potential schemes to list here but some of the key walking and cycling schemes that are set out in the IDP are the:
Re-routing of National Cycle Network (NCN) through Durham City
Walking and Cycling Access across Milburngate Bridge
Links between North of Arnison Strategic Housing Site across Rotary Way
Creation of a 1.8kms Multi User Route in Pittington.
Rail Network
3.108 Durham station’s existing strong intra-regional links are a major asset, particularly given its proximity to the Aykley Heads strategic employment site. It would be possible to create a 15 minute even interval “turn up and go” service between Durham and Newcastle and between Durham, Darlington and York using the existing quantum of trains. This would generate user confidence in the service removing the need for reference to a timetable
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 41 3 Delivery Areas
for these journeys and contributing to modal shift. The rail industry understands this aspiration but there are time-tabling constraints because the ECML links to other nationally significant stations.
Bus
3.109 The location of new developments has a significant influence on future travel patterns. An initial assessment of sites identified as having the potential for residential development has shown that many sites have better levels of public transport accessibility than others. More detailed assessment is now required to fully assess accessibility for the full range of sites. Those sites considered to have poor levels of accessibility would be required to provide improvements to bus services and infrastructure as part of planning agreements. The table below lists the proposed residential sites considered to have particularly poor levels of accessibility for local bus services.
Table 7 - Proposed residential development sites with poor accessibility
Reference CDP Ref Settlement Site name
4/DU/101 & H1 Durham City Sniperley Park 4/DU/102
4/DU/117 H5 Durham City Durham Northern Quarter
4/CO/06 H11 Coxhoe Bogma Hall Farm
4/BE/01 H15 Bearpark North of Cook Avenue
1/BR/08 H16 Burnhope Greenwood Avenue
Within Durham City, land is safeguarded at the northern end of North Road to improve the city’s transport infrastructure. This include plans for a new bus station which is key to the wider redevelopment of land on North Road to provide an improved retail, pedestrian and transport offer on North Road. The safeguarded land will be used for re-locating the bus station, creating better retail floor spaces on the exiting bus station site and removing the existing A690 roundabout and replacing it with a signalised junction. These modifications will create a modern and more pleasant environment and improve pedestrian links between the shops and the bus and rail station.
Highways
3.110 Within Durham City, the highway network currently experiences congestion and delay especially in the peak hour periods. Areas where specific problems exist, or are predicted, include the A167 to the west of the City Centre, the A690 approaches on both the east and west and the A691 approach from Sniperley. One of the most significant problem areas is within the centre of the City on the Milburngate crossing of the River Wear. Current traffic flows indicate that this section is almost 30% over-capacity, and future traffic growth within the City will only exacerbate this situation. The Northern and Western Relief Roads are proposed as potential elements of a transport solution that seeks to address the impact of new business and housing in the City.
42 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
3.111 The Council are also currently proposing significant investment in an Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTC) project that coordinates the operation and introduces new traffic signals through the City Centre to allow a smoother progression of vehicles through the network which prioritises the reliability of public transport. This project will include ‘intelligent’ traffic signals that are sensitive to queueing traffic. It will also increase the reliability of public transport by giving priority to buses. Also, by improving the flow of traffic, it should contribute to improving the air quality in the centre of the City.
3.112 Access upgrades and improvements to Belmont Business Park is currently underway is expected to be completed by the end of 2013. New traffic signals are being installed at the top of the A690 sliproad from the A1 (M) and the carriageway on Broomside Lane is being widened for commercial users. The improvements will deal with the increased traffic flows which will be generated as result of future developments within the business park.
3.113 Priorities for investment to highways and junctions are listed below.(xv)
Table 8 Central Durham Highway Improvements Required
Delivery Settlement Highway Improvements Required Area
Central Durham Northern Relief Road Durham City Western Relief Road
Sunderland Bridge (Honest Lawyer) junction improvements
Belmont Business Park improvements
Sherburn Road Retail link road
B6302 Broom Lane (Stonebridge to start of Western Relief Road)
A691 Sniperley to Trout's Lane improvements
A167 Park and Ride Link Road improvements
Sniperley Park and Ride extension
A167 Nevilles Cross to Sniperley removal of traffic signals Toll House Road
A167 Nevilles Cross to Sniperley pedestrian facilities improvements
A167 and A691 link road
xv all LTP3 junction improvements are mapped on the physical infrastructure maps using yellow hexagons
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 43 3 Delivery Areas
Delivery Settlement Highway Improvements Required Area
A691 Sniperley to Trout's Lane roundabout
B6532 Trout's Lane junction roundabout
A167 Pity Me roundabout improvements
City Centre to Framwellgate Moor and Arnison Centre walking and cycling improvements
A690 Leazes Bowl and Gilesgate roundabout signalisation
A691 Framwellgate Peth improvements to County Hall roundabout
B6532 Dryburn Road improvements to Aykley heads roundabout
A167 Pity Me roundabout stage 2 improvements
Arnison Link Road (Rotary Way) improvements to Arnison roundabout
Arnison Link Road (Rotary Way) improvements to walking and cycling connections
A181 Sherburn Road signal control junction
Browney Lane link road signalisation
Rest of A690 Rainton Gate Junction Signalisation Central A688 Bowburn Services Roundabout Durham Bowburn Relief Road
Broadband
3.114 It is highly possible that the area of Bowburn, Cornsay, Esh Winning and West Rainton and surrounding villages are unlikely to be served by the private sector.
Energy
3.115 Heat mapping work has identified that Durham City has potential to support a district heating scheme although it will require a significant amount of new infrastructure and rely on the development of key strategic sites. There is also potential for district heating to support proposed housing sites at Sniperley Park North of Arnison and Mount Oswald in Durham City.
44 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Water Management
3.116 Four of the five STWs serving Durham City will reach capacity in 2016/17 based on current housing projections. Therefore, significant investment is required from NWL to provide adequate headroom for development to proceed. Funding to upgrade Barkers Haugh is being sought as part of AMP6. This work should be completed by 2020.
3.117 In addition, a funding and/or a phasing strategy will be required for the green belt deletion sites at Sniperley Park and North of Arnison as the existing STW’s at Pity Me and Brasside have insufficient capacity to serve developments of this size. We are currently working with NWL to find a strategic solution to this issue.
Rest of Central Durham: Bearpark and Aldin Grange STW will reach headroom at 2018/19 based on current projections. Witton Gilbert and Langley Park will be 28 houses above headroom in 2015/16. The Browney STW that serves Durham City, Ushaw Moor, New Brancepeth, Langley Moor and Meadowfield will reach headroom capacity in 2019/20 based on current housing projections. Lanchester and Burnhope will be 50 houses above headroom in 2026/27.
3.118 Bear Park and Aldin Grange STW and Witton Gilbert STW’s are included in the business plan by NWL for upgrade in AMP6
3.119 The current developments which are ongoing within the Browney STW catchment will take it to capacity and has been identified as a candidate for investment in AMP6
3.120 DCC are leading on flood defence work in Witton Gilbert.
Surface Water
3.121 New developments present the best opportunities to manage the risk of surface water flooding, particularly the development of combined sewer networks. NWL have done an initial assessment of the foul and surface water drainage networks across the allocated sites in Central Durham. Results show that surface water will need to be carefully managed at the majority of sites in Central Durham. The application of Policy 46 of the County Durham Plan will be crucial to managing flood risk
Town Centres
3.122 Work will continue to complete the Durham City Vision, including the Heart of the City project focusing on the Market Place and Vennels area and the project is being extended to include access improvements to Back Elvet. Work has also been undertaken to look at the North Road area of the City and how this could be improved in the future.
3.123 A number of projects are also scheduled for the settlements surrounding the City, including the refurbishment of Bowburn Community Centre and Bowburn Park and works for improving play facilities in West Rainton.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 45 3 Delivery Areas
Map 6 Future Physical & Social Infrastructure in Central Durham
GP Surgeries and Health Care
Durham City - The proposed housing for Durham City will see 6200 additional houses built with an impact of around 13,000 additional residents. It is likely that there will be pressure on all practices in Durham City; they have varied ability to absorb additional patients into their existing premises. A greater impact has been identified in the Arnison/Sniperley/ Framwellgate Moor area and the area South and West of the University and calculations have been completed specifically for these locations.
Arnison/Sniperley - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Arnison/Sniperley area at a rate of 2.1 is 7329. There is a requirement for 7 additional consulting spaces.
Mt Oswald/Merryoaks - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Mt Oswald/Merryoaks area at a rate of 2.1 is 1134. There is a requirement for 2 additional consulting spaces.
3.124 Should a 1000 bed student hostel be developed on the site attracting additional students this will have a far greater impact on local healthcare delivery and detailed discussions would be required with healthcare commissioners.
46 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
School Places
3.125 There is limited spare capacity in primary school provision in Durham City, current housing allocations and pupil forecasts suggest additional places are required over the next 5 to 10 years. Some villages around the City may also require extra places.
3.126 The Sniperley Park strategic site in Durham City could produce a requirement for additional school provision of 550 primary pupils and 220 secondary pupils. The nearest primary school to the development is Framwellgate Moor Primary and the nearest secondary school is Framwellgate School, Durham. The nearest RCVA primary school is St Godric's and the nearest CE Aided is Blue Coat CE Aided Junior. The nearest aided secondary school is St Leonard's Catholic.
3.127 The North of Arnison strategic site in Durham City could produce a requirement for additional school provision of 306 primary pupils and 125 secondary pupils. The nearest primary school to the development is Finchale Primary and the nearest secondary school is Framwellgate School, Durham. The nearest RCVA primary school is St Godric's and the nearest CE Aided is Blue Coat CE Aided Junior. The nearest aided secondary school is St Leonard's Catholic.
3.128 A further development at Aykley Heads could produce 55 primary pupils and 22 secondary pupils. The nearest primary school is Framwellgate Moor Primary.
3.129 The schools in Framwellgate Moor will not have capacity to provide places for the additional pupils produced by the 3 developments. A number of options and proposals have been put forward which include a new build primary school to accommodate pupils from the Sniperley Park and Aykley Heads developments. The school would also need to provide nursery provision for 52 pupils.
3.130 The North of Arnison development could also require a new build primary school, along with an expansion of Framwellgate Moor Primary. The school places team of Durham County Council are currently look at alternative options which include the creation of additional capacity within current provision through the construction of additional classrooms.
3.131 Framwellgate School, Durham and St Leonard's Catholic would require expanding to create the additional capacity required to meet the demand for secondary education.
3.132 The Sherburn Road site does not require an additional school to be constructed, however, Laurel Avenue Primary School would need additional classrooms to accommodate the forecasted 120 additional primary pupils. It is also possible that Belmont Community School may need to be expanded, however, this will depend on the progress of the Durham Free School in Gilesgate.
Visitor Economy
3.133 The DTMaP details investment required in tourism attractions and tourist related schemes, these include attractions such as World Heritage Site Visitors Centre.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 47 3 Delivery Areas
3.134 A stage two Heritage Lottery fund bid for improvements to Wharton Park will be submitted and if approved would result in total investment of £3.44m. The investment would support a major restoration project of Wharton Park and see the creation of a Park Heritage Centre and Café. Improvements would also be made to play equipment, footpaths, signage and access, along with the refurbishment of the amphitheatre to create a better events/performance space. Funding will also support essential repairs to the Grade 2 listed Battery structure and the restoration of the Albert the Good statue and The Way sculpture.
Sports Facilities
3.135 The area around Durham City has the best provision of sports facilities in the County. The area also enjoys the highest usage of facilities in County Durham. Indeed the Durham City area is the only area in the County Durham where residents have a higher participation levels than the national average, these include:
Most Synthetic pitches facilities in County Durham are clustered in the Durham City area;
Ample sports hall but a lack of larger sports halls in central area of the County;
Ample health and fitness suites; and
The Freeman’s Quay swimming pool is the busiest swimming pool in the County at 83% of Capacity, which would suggest there is not a surplus of swimming pools in the central Durham area. (xvi)
3.136 Work is currently being carried out to assess current indoor and outdoor facilities taking in to account growth projections, along with exploring the possibilities of co-location of services and facilities. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
South Durham
Walking and Cycling Rights of Way
3.137 The Walking and Cycling Rights of Way Improvement Plan and Cycling Strategy outlines Spennymoor as a Access Prioritisation Area. While Cycling Super Routes and Secondary Routes have been designated in across South Durham, the IDP Schedule sets out the folloeing routes as key for investment;
Shildon to Newton Aycliffe Cycleway;
Crook to Bishop Auckland Multi-User Route;
South West Durham Heritage Corridor Multi User Routes (Barnard Castle to Bishop Auckland).
xvi According to Sport England's Facilities Planning Model (FPM) profile 2010.
48 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Rail Network
3.138 Darlington to Bishop Auckland railway is recognised in the County’s Regeneration Statement as an asset running through the core economic area of South Durham containing the main towns of Bishop Auckland, Shildon and Newton Aycliffe providing a key gateway to the Durham Dales. Together with the Weardale Railway it forms a strategic railway tourism corridor linking the Darlington Railway Museum, Locomotion at Shildon and Weardale heritage railway. The railway tourism corridor complements the development of a series of major tourism attractions at Bishop Auckland, including the Saxon Church, Binchester Roman Fort and the development of Auckland Palace Park.
3.139 Funding has been made available for improvements particularly at Bishop Auckland station where buildings are being improved to accommodate staff delivering the LSTF project ‘South Durham Embracing Local Motion’. A significant, though not the only, constraint on service development is the track layout and absence of dedicated platform space at Darlington Bank Top station. The rail station at Bishop Auckland is scheduled to receive significant investment between 2013/14 and 2014/2015 to support the refurbishment of the station. Extra service that Northern Rail is adding at peak times will improve the linkages between Bishop Auckland, Weardale, Darlington and the ECML.
3.140 The proposed Hitachi train assembly plant at Heighington will provide a significant opportunity for growing passenger numbers and the profile of the route. Heighington Station will require capital investment which the Council can provide through LTP funding to bring it up to standard.
3.141 Stanhope to Bishop Auckland West is owned by the Weardale Railway Community Interest Company, there are stations in Stanhope, Forsterley, Wolsingham, and Bishop Auckland (West). Freight services are operated by Colas Rail for British Coal and Weardale Railway. The main issue on this line is the linkage between Northern Bishop Auckland station and Bishop Auckland West.
3.142 The community rail service was withdrawn in January 2012 as passenger numbers were low. The passenger emphasis is now on the heritage operation two days per week between April to October with an enhanced service at holiday times and special Christmas operations. Though regular through working from upper Weardale to Shildon and Darlington is now less likely in the medium term the chain of attractions comprising the Head of Steam museum at Darlington North Road, National Railway Museum’s Locomotion facility at Shildon and the Weardale Railway heritage operation can still be marketed as a very strong tourism attraction and economic driver.
3.143 Weardale Railway is exploring options for new stations on the route starting with Witton-le-Wear and further freight movements based on mineral extraction in the Dale.
Bus
3.144 An initial assessment of sites identified as having the potential for residential development has shown that many sites have better levels of public transport accessibility than others. Those sites considered to have poor levels of accessibility would be required
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 49 3 Delivery Areas
to provide improvements to bus services and infrastructure as part of planning agreements. The table below lists the proposed residential sites considered to have particularly poor levels of accessibility for local bus services.
Table 9 - Proposed residential development sites with poor accessibility
Reference CDP Ref Settlement Site name
3/BA/38 H39 Bishop Auckland Woodhouses Farm
7/NA/313 H46 Newton Aycliffe Low Copelaw
7/NA/329 H50 Newton Aycliffe North od Travellers' Green
7/NA/187 H52 Newton Aycliffe Site O, Cobblers Hall
7/CH/078A H54 Chilton West Chilton Farm
7/SF/069 H57 Sedgefield South of Eden Drive
3.145 Bishop Auckland bus station is scheduled to receive £200,000 investment to support improvements.
Highways
3.146 Priorities for investment to highways and junctions are listed below.(xvii)
Table 10 South Durham Highway Improvements Required
Delivery Area Settlement Highway Improvements Required
South Durham Bishop Auckland C130 Cockton Hill Road/Escombe Road signalisation
Newton Aycliffe A167 Rushyford roundabout improvements
3.147 The Durhamgate strategic project at Spennymoor will see investment in the next phase of the ongoing project which will focus on road infrastructure to open up the site in terms of access and is expected to be completed by 2014/15. Durhamgate will be a significant employment site for the County due to its close links to Durham City and the A1 (M) and is anticipated to include around 2,000 jobs when complete.
Broadband
3.148 It is highly possible that the area of Bishop Middleham, Byers Green, Escomb and Howden-le- Wear and surrounding villages are unlikely to be served by the private sector.
xvii all LTP3 junction improvements are mapped on the physical infrastructure maps using yellow hexagons
50 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Energy
3.149 A proposal in excess of 50MW at Bradbury Carrs, South of Sedgefield which is classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project on account of its proposed capacity, and will be therefore determined by the Infrastructure Planning Commission.
3.150 There is currently one large Bio-mass operational facility in County Durham, a 17MW direct combustion bio-energy plant at Chilton owned by Dalkia. The plant burns waste wood to produce electricity for the national grid. There is the potential for district heating to support proposed housing sites at Chilton in relation to the Dalkia Energy Centre.
Water Management
Newton Aycliffe & Shildon - Headroom at the Aycliffe STW will reach capacity in 2020/21 based on current projections.
3.151 Aycliffe is being upgraded as part of AMP 6. This work should be completed by 2020. A phasing strategy will be required for any development pre - 2020 to work within available capacity. Flows from Hitachi are minimal and will be acceptable.
Spennymoor - Tudhoe Mill has limited capacity currently but is being upgraded in AMP6. This work should be completed by 2018.
Rest of South Durham: Chiltion and Windlestone STW serves Chilton and West Ferryhill and has reached capacity. ChiltonWindleston STW will be upgraded as part of AMP 6. This work should be completed by 2020. There is currently insufficient capacity at this STW to support housing growth.
Tow Law STW will reach headroom capacity in 2015/16 based on current housing projections. It has been identified as a potential candidate for investment in AMP6 .
Sedgefield has a capacity for 300 houses. It has been identified as a potential candidate for investment in AMP7.
Surface Water
3.152 New developments present the best opportunities to manage the risk of surface water flooding, particularly the development of combined sewer networks. NWL have done an initial assessment of the foul and surface water drainage networks across the allocated sites in South Durham. Results show that surface water will need to be carefully managed at the majority of sites in South Durham. The application of Policy 46 of the County Durham Plan will be crucial to managing flood risk
Town Centres
3.153 A number towns in the South area have a range of project scheduled between 2013/14 and 2014/15, including public realm work, Targeted Business Improvement (TBI) and master planning. These include Bishop Auckland, Crook, Ferryhill, Newton Ayclffe and Spennymoor with works focusing on improve the overall appearance and accessibility of the towns, and making them more attractive to residents and visitors.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 51 3 Delivery Areas
Map 7 Future Physical & Social Infrastructure In South Durham
GP Surgeries and Health Care
3.154 There is currently adequate health care in these areas but additional housing may have implications for health care provision. However, additional housing will have the following impact in South Durham settlements.
Bishop Auckland - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Bishop Auckland at a rate of 2.1 is 4956. This would create a requirement for 5 additional consulting spaces.
Newton Aycliffe - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Bishop Auckland at a rate of 2.1 is 4196. This would create a requirement for 5 additional consulting spaces
Crook - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Crook at a rate of 2.1 is 1989. This would create a requirement for 2 additional consulting spaces.
Sedgefield - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Bishop Auckland at a rate of 2.1 is 983. This would create a requirement for 2 additional consulting spaces. The local surgery at Sedgefield is concerned about the impact of this growth and has highlighted their concerns. It is important to note the impact of housing growth in the Wynyard area which falls within the Hartlepool Borough Council locality. A joint approach to planning in this area is required.
52 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
School Places
3.155 In line with anticipated levels of housing development additional primary school places are likely to be required in the South of the County. Whitworth Park School and Sixth Form College has recently been remodelled and Sedgefield Community College has recently received investment through Building Schools for the Future programme.
3.156 The Low Copelaw strategic site in Newton Aycliffe could produce a requirement for additional school provision of 225 primary pupils and 90 secondary pupils. The nearest school are on the opposite side of the dual carriageway (A167). Therefore, pupils attending their nearest primary school would have to be provided with free home to school transport on the grounds of the walking route being unsafe. In addition, the existing primary schools in Newton Aycliffe are not ideally situated for the Low Copelaw development and they do not have the capacity for all of the additional pupils from this development.
3.157 An additional new build primary school to accommodate pupils from the Low Copelaw development is currently seen as the preferred option to overcome all the issues raised above. The new school would also need to include a 39 place nursery unit to provide sufficient places for the additional pupils likely to be in this area at the time of completion of the development.
3.158 An additional new build primary school located in Woodham Village would also be required to accommodate pupils from the Cobblers Hall and land south of South Agnew Plantation developments. This school would need to accommodate 210 pupils and included nursery provision for 39 places to ensure there sufficient places for the additional pupils likely to be in this area at the time of completion of the development.
3.159 Woodham Community Technology College has sufficient places to accommodate the additional secondary pupils likely to be in this area at the time of completion of the development and some beyond. However, it is possible that remodelling will be required to ensure there are sufficient specialist facilities.
3.160 The Woodhouses Farm strategic site in Bishop Auckland could produce a requirement for additional school provision of approximately 175 primary pupils and 70 secondary pupils. In order to accommodate the anticipated pupil numbers it will be necessary to expand Escomb Primary School, creating additional teaching spaces along with communal facilities such as toilets, dining facilities and outdoor areas. In addition, it will also be necessary to expand Bishop Barrington School and St John's School to accommodate the additional pupils produced of secondary school age.
3.161 The High West Road strategic site in Crook could produce a requirement for additional school provision of 180 primary pupils and 60 secondary pupils. There are two possible options to accommodate the additional primary pupils, a new build school with a capacity for 180 pupils or the relocation of Hartside Primary School to a new build facility with an increase in its capacity from 210 to 390 primary places.
Visitor Economy
3.162 The DTMaP details investment required in tourism attractions and tourist related schemes, these include attractions such as Binchester Roman Fort.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 53 3 Delivery Areas
3.163 Auckland Castle Trust has received £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards as a £17m project to transform Auckland Castle into a major heritage site and visitor destination. Auckland Castle was purchased in 2012 by philanthropist Jonathon Ruffer and is in the process of being transformed into a major tourist attraction to attract around 120,000 visitors in five years time. Auckland Castle also houses the rare paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran which have been part of the castle's history for more than 250 years.
Sports Facilities
3.164 A Sub-Regional Study states that in the former Sedgefield district area, there is a higher average share of sports hall and indoor bowling facilities. The sports facilities are of high quality but require modernisation where appropriate. The Strategy highlights that there are a number of facilities located together in the same area and subsequently people are coming in from other areas of County Durham to use the facilities.
3.165 According to Sport England’s Facilities Planning Model (FPM) profile 2010, The Oak Leaf Sports centre in Newton Aycliffe and the Ferryhill Leisure Centre are operating at well below sports hall capacity at 36% and 39% respectively and this suggests a general surplus of sports halls in South Durham.
3.166 Swimming facilities in South Durham are ageing and in need of investment and this could be the reason for underutilisation of swimming pools in South Durham. Sport England’s FPM data shows that, in County Durham as a whole, the pool stock loose customers because of its condition and this is most apparent in the Bishop Auckland area and the Sedgefield area.
3.167 One of areas of most significant unmet demand in swimming facilities within County Durham lies between Coxhoe and the Trimdons, this is probably more to do with accessibility issues. (xviii)
3.168 Work is currently being carried out to assess current indoor and outdoor facilities taking in to account growth projections, along with exploring the possibilities of co-location of services and facilities. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
East Durham
Walking and Cycling Rights of Way
3.169 The Walking and Cycling Rights of Way Improvement Plan and Cycling Strategy outlines Peterlee and Seaham as Access Prioritisation Areas. In addition to the identification of Cycling Super Routes in East Durham (see Countywide Map earlier in this section), capital has been identified in the current DCC capital programme to enhance the Hart to Haswell route for extra provision for equestrian and cyclists.
xviii According to Sport England’s Facilities Planning Model (FPM) profile 2010
54 County Durham Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 Delivery Areas 3
Rail Network
3.170 A new station on the Durham Cost Rail Line at Horden Sea View is a Council priority and work is underway to deliver this. The new station seeks to connect deprived communities in the County with areas of opportunity as well as maximising inward investment opportunities by facilitating access to a wider labour market. Development and construction costs will largely be covered by the Council's capital budget although an application has been made to the Local Enterprise Partnership for funding.
3.171 Train operators are being approached to see if they are interested in stopping at the new station, which would increase the service frequency to two trains per hour and further enhance the business case for the station. Population and housing growth forecasts for Peterlee and the surrounding settlements could also improve the business case of providing a new station on the Durham Coast Line.
Bus
3.172 An initial assessment of sites identified as having the potential for residential development has shown that many sites have better levels of public transport accessibility than others. Those sites considered to have poor levels of accessibility would be required to provide improvements to bus services and infrastructure as part of planning agreements. The table below lists the proposed residential sites considered to have particularly poor levels of accessibility for local bus services.
Table 11 - Proposed residential development sites with poor accessibility
Reference CDP Ref Settlement Site name
5/WI/11A H74 Wingate/Station Town East of Martindale Walk
Highways
3.173 Priorities for investment to highways and junctions are listed below.(xix)
Table 12 East Durham Highway Improvements Required
Delivery Settlement Highway Improvements Required Area
East Durham Peterlee A19/B1320 Burnhope Way roundabout signalisation Essington Way/Lowhills Road/Stephenson Road staggered roundabout junction improvements Essington Way/A1086 Thorpe Road junction improvements
Seaham B1404/B1285 - Traffic Signal Improvement
xix all LTP3 junction improvements are mapped on the physical infrastructure maps using yellow hexagons
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 55 3 Delivery Areas
Delivery Settlement Highway Improvements Required Area
Rest of East Murton - Link Road Phase 2 (A19 - Dalton Park) Durham
Broadband
3.174 It is highly possible that the area of Hesledon and Shotton Colliery and surrounding villages are unlikely to be served by the private sector.
Surface Water
3.175 New developments present the best opportunities to manage the risk of surface water flooding, particularly the development of combined sewer networks. NWL have done an initial assessment of the foul and surface water drainage networks across the allocated sites in East Durham. Results show that surface water will need to be carefully managed at the majority of sites in East Durham. The application of Policy 46 of the County Durham Plan will be crucial to managing flood risk
Town Centres
3.176 Peterlee and Seaham towns currently have recently had masterplans completed, the next stages of working towards implementation are currently being considered. Seaham has an ongoing 'steetscape' project which is focusing on improving public realm and is due to be completed by the end of 2013/14 and St John's Square improvements which are scheduled for completion in 2013/14. Seaham has also recently seen investments in around the North Dock area and applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund are being developed to support the next stages of the project. Both towns also have Targeted Business Improvement (TBI) programmes which help support town centre businesses, targeting derelict and underused premises, new business enterprise and private sector investment. In addition there is also a East Durham Rural TBI initiative.
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Map 8 Future Physical & Social Infrastructure - East Durham
GP Surgeries and Health Care
3.177 The East Durham area has been a focus for recent investment, Seaham has a new primary health care facility and Peterlee is identified as a strategic area for future investment.
Peterlee - Population growth resulting from existing commitments and strategic sites in Peterlee/Horden at a rate of 2.1 is 3681. This would create a requirement for 2 additional consulting spaces.
School Places
3.178 Villages in East Durham that have primary schools close to capacity and may be affected by significant new housing development including Wingate and Wheatley Hill.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 57 3 Delivery Areas
3.179 The Building Schools for the Future programme was focused in East Durham, with investment supporting the build of some new and remodelled Secondary Schools in Easington, Peterlee, Wingate and Sedgefield.
Sports Facilities
3.180 In East Durham there is a shortage of sports facilities, the Sub-Regional Facilities Study 2008 states that there is a lack of water space, sports halls and synthetic turf pitches and there are no indoor bowls facilities.
3.181 With regard to swimming provision, Seaham and Peterlee are rated as very busy to approaching full with the most significant unmet demand in swimming facilities.
3.182 Work is currently being carried out to assess current indoor and outdoor facilities taking in to account growth projections, along with exploring the possibilities of co-location of services and facilities. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
Community Buildings
3.183 A new Liveability Land and Buildings project is scheduled for Thornley and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014/15. The project will provide a new build multipurpose centre and also contain library services for the local community.
West Durham
Walking and Cycling Rights of Way
3.184 The Walking and Cycling Rights of Way Improvement Plan and Cycling Strategy identifies Barnard Castle to Bishop Auckland (South West Durham Heritage Corridor) Multi User Route as a priority. The CDP has safeguarded this route, which is intended not to be simply a cycle way but a multi-user route incorporating green infrastructure and bringing ecological and biodiversity benefits.
Rail Network
3.185 Stanhope to Bishop Auckland (west) railway is owned by the Weardale Railway Community Interest Company, there are stations in Stanhope, Forsterley, Wolsingham, and Bishop Auckland (west). Freight services are operated by Colas Rail for British Coal and Weardale Railway. The main issue on this line is the linkage between Bishop Auckland station and Bishop Auckland west.
3.186 The community rail service was withdrawn in January 2012 as passenger numbers were low. The passenger emphasis is now on the heritage operation two days per week between April to October with an enhanced service at holiday times and special Christmas operations. The Weardale Railway are exploring options for new stations on the route starting with Witton-le-Wear and further freight movements based on mineral extraction in the Dale.
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Bus
3.187 An initial assessment of sites identified as having the potential for residential development has shown that many sites have better levels of public transport accessibility than others. Those sites considered to have poor levels of accessibility would be required to provide improvements to bus services and infrastructure as part of planning agreements. The table below lists the proposed residential sites considered to have particularly poor levels of accessibility for local bus services.
Table 13 - Proposed residential development sites with poor accessibility
Reference CDP Ref Settlement Site name
6/BC/02 H82 Barnard Castle South of Green Lane
Broadband
3.188 Factors that affect broadband quality include the distance of the line from the telephone exchange serving it, the gauge and quality of the wires or cable, the number of connections on the line between the exchange and the premises, interference from radios or electrical equipment, and the quality of the equipment customers use. Although the internet can be accessed wirelessly in some locations, broadband is traditionally delivered through wired and fibre optic networks.
3.189 It is highly possible that the area of Cockfield, Greta Bridge, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Stanhope and Wolsingham and surrounding villages are unlikely to be served by the private sector.
Water Management
Wolsingham STW – Is at capacity and has been identified for investment during AMP6. The work should be completed by 2020.
Surface Water
3.190 New developments present the best opportunities to manage the risk of surface water flooding, particularly the development of combined sewer networks. NWL have done an initial assessment of the foul and surface water drainage networks across the allocated sites in West Durham. Results show that surface water will need to be carefully managed at the majority of sites in West Durham. The application of Policy 46 of the County Durham Plan will be crucial to managing flood risk.
Town Centres
3.191 There are a number of projects and programmes taking place in Barnard Caste, which include the refurbishment of Witham Hall including the relocation of the library and the creation of NeST 2. In addition to NeST 2 developments, live work units are also being proposed at the NeST (Newgate Studios). The Heart of Teesdale Landscape project which
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 59 3 Delivery Areas
is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund aims is to bring back into focus the unique characteristics of the area and to renew and conserve the views, the walks, rural and town features that make up the landscape as a whole.
3.192 The Durham Dale Centre in Stanhope is currently being refurbished and offers conference and business services along with facilities for visitors include a tea room and craft and shopping opportunities.
Map 9 Future Physical & Social Infrastructure - West Durham
GP Surgeries and Health Care
3.193 West Durham is more remote and often health care facilities are less accessible to members of the public. However, there is a primary care hospital at Stanhope and there are no major concerns about the level of service in rural West.
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School Places
3.194 With the exception of some of the more populated centres such as Middleton-in-Teesdale and Wolsingham pupil numbers are projected to reduce in many areas. There are more surplus places in this part of the County due to it’s rurality and a commitment to keep primary schools open so that pupils do not need to travel too far to attend a school.
Visitor Economy
3.195 The DTMaP details investment required in tourism attractions and tourist related schemes. These include attractions such as the Bowes Museum and Killhope Lead Mining Museum.
3.196 Killhope Lead Mining Museum has been awarded a grant of £428,400 from a Heritage Lottery Fund for the Rediscover Killhope project. The project will commence July 2013 and will include conservation works and improved visitor facilities and is expected to be completed by October 2015.
Sports Facilities
3.197 The main problem in West Durham is often the accessibility of sports facilities, this is obviously due to the rural profile of the area. All facilities in the West are clustered in Barnard Castle and people often have to travel to Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland or Newton Aycliffe to access sports facilities.
3.198 The County Durham Sports Strategy also indicates that there has been a lack of lottery sports investment in this area to improve the quality of sports facilities. The key messages coming out of the County Durham Sports Strategy 2008 relating to facilities in the delivery area are:
The Barnard Castle area in particular has a personal share of Sports Hall facilities that is significantly higher than the national average; There is some unmet demand for swimming facilities in the Barnard Castle area although this could be due to accessibility problems; and Barnard Castle is one of only 2 areas in County Durham where there are no indoor bowls facilities.
3.199 The main issue in Teesdale is not the provision of Sports Halls but the accessibility to them. This may explain why the Teesdale Sports Centre is operating at well under capacity at 32%. According to Sport England’s Active Places Power, the former district of Teesdale, is not provided for in terms of Health and Fitness suites.
3.200 Work is currently being carried out to assess current indoor and outdoor facilities taking in to account growth projections, along with exploring the possibilities of co-location of services and facilities. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2013 County Durham Plan 61 4 IDP Investment Schedules
4 IDP Investment Schedules
4.1 The IDP Schedule is located in the following section when reading a printed report or can be found on a separate PDF document when viewed electronically. The IDP Schedule is the financial breakdown of investment in each area of the County, divided by delivery area and key settlements. The information, which has been developed on an excel spreadsheet, is further divided by infrastructure type in line with the IDP main report.
4.2 The capital investments listed within the IDP schedule can be reviewed to reflect more confident economic circumstances and/or changing priorities for the future. The information in the IDP schedule is organised into three levels of priority:
Table 14 - Colour Coding In IDP Schedule
Committed capital programme/secure or ongoing developments
Uncertain capital available, scheme part funded or uncertain timescales
Infrastructure required with no funding/longer term aspirations
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