Livin is asking the County Council for permission to demolish 14 Garages and take away the Green in Armstrong Close to provide five new 3-bedroom houses. This has happened elsewhere in the town where garages have been allowed to fall into disrepair, rather than rent them out.
The residents of Armstrong Close and St. Oswald Court are objecting to the plan, collecting signatures and support to block the scheme. “It is bad enough to lose garages, but to lose a green where children play is unacceptable and parking problems will be worse when people who use the garage will be forced onto the roadside”. said a spokesperson.
It is noticeable that Livin do not mention the loss of the Green in their application. Vehicles that park there already present a problem to large lorries such as Bin wagons and Emergency vehicles who at times have to reverse all the way out as there is no room to turn. Objections to the application have to be lodged by e-mail by 6th February to: planning@durham.gov.uk or in writing to the Planning Department (South West) County Hall, Durham DH1 5UL.
Local Councillors Sarah Iveson and Jed Hillary have registered concerns on the following grounds: 1. A loss of public green open amenity land that generations of children have safely played on, in the vicinity of their own homes. 2. The applicant has given no consideration to the loss of existing parking facilities, and exacerbation of problems associated with off-street parking. Within the local vicinity there are existing parking problems with no vehicle access to the residents of St Oswald’s Walk and Hutchinson Walk. 3. There are already considerable access issues with large delivery vehicles/ bin lorries in this area.
