A COUNCIL’s economic masterplan will be back before councillors next month (March).

Consultation on Durham County Council’s County Durham Plan (CDP) closed last December.

The plan proposes 31,400 new homes and 30,000 new jobs by 2030 and supporters say it is vital to prevent the county falling further behind the rest of the region and country.

But opponents say it focuses too much on Durham City, is way over the top and would sacrifice vital Green Belt land.

Today (Wednesday, February 26), Councillor Neil Foster, the council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration, said the plan would be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday, March 19, before going before full council on Wednesday, April 2.

It will then go before an examination in public.

Coun Foster said nearly 4,000 representations had been received during the consultation period, plus one resubmitted and three new petitions.

Responding to questions from Kirsty Thomas, from the Friends of Durham Green Belt, he said: “It is of paramount importance that the CDP continues to protect Durham’s Green Belt by ensuring the Green Belt boundary is fit for purpose and permanent for the next 20 years.

“Difficult choices have to be made and for this reason we propose that the most appropriate sites are released ensuring that the remaining 96 per cent of the Green Belt is fully protected from inappropriate development.”