A HOUSING scheme to build 23 bungalows has been given a resounding thumbs-up from councillors.

The plan may be a "fully electric development" for environmentally friendly housing, but the price may not be right for this ambition.

Believe Housing applied for permission to build the two and three-bed wheelchair-adaptable bungalows on land surrounded by terraced houses.

"Importantly this site was historically occupied by housing many years ago," said senior planning officer Mark O'Sullivan.

"The site was cleared and the land left to grass over," he told the Durham County Council planning committee meeting.

The social housing provider said the development would provide much-needed homes on the green area at Tintern Road, St Helen Auckland.

There were no objections to the scheme.

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Agent Paul Glover said Believe Housing aimed to deliver high-quality affordable homes meeting the needs of residents and communities.

He said: "They want to create better places where communities in the region can thrive.

"And they want to create sustainable places which provide ongoing provision to the most vulnerable.

"We have an increasing ageing demographic with 38% of the opopulation being over 50 in 2019.

"Within County Durham there are 10,000 people on the council's affordable waiting list.

"Furthermore, 32% of the population are expected to be over 60 by 2039, and 7% over 80.

"There is more than ever a requirement to provide affordable tenure bungalows to meet the needs of the county, which this development provides."

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Mr Glover said the existing green sapce was "devoid of any ecological features" and there was "little evidence that it's actually used much apart from dog walking".

He added Believe Housing wanted to achieve carbon zero homes by 2025 but there were cost implications for the developer and residents.

He said: "Believe are targeting this scheme as a potentially fully electric development which could utilise air and ground source heat pumps with improved thermal insulation and air tightness.

"But this proposal is subject to a cost viability study.

"Unfortunately at the moment no commitment can be made at this time until the scheme has been tendered following receipt of planning permission.

"Until we've got the tenders back we don't know what we can achieve."

He told how costs were going "through the roof" in the constructions industry, and they needed to find out prices and work out whether they could afford a fully electric scheme.

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Councillor Angela Sterling expressed frustration about efforts to reduce people's energy bills and hit sustainablity targets.

She said: "The two just clash constantly. The pricing just seems to be a huge barrier."

Cllr Jim Atkinson said: "Trigger words that make me happy, things like 'bungalows', 'disabled access', 'parking', 'no objections'.

"It looks like a good proposal to me."

Cllr Michael Stead said: "Everything in this application seems a tick for me.

"It's very very positive. It's something that we need in County Durham."

Cllr David Boyes said he was a former director of Believe Housing: "They're a major player with some really, really ambitious, well worked schemes.

"We could be doing a lot more with regard to renewable energy.

"But the housing market at the moment, the mark-up is absolutely tiny.

"At this moment I think we can only accept the scheme it's set out."

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the plan.

Conditions of granting planning permission include the developer making over £50,000 contributions to open spaces and healthcare.