AMENDED plans for an outdoor seating area at a hotel near Darlington have been submitted to Darlington Borough Council.

The plans involve a change of use to form an outdoor paved seating area to the front and the installation of ventilation equipment to the internal roof area, at the Devonport Hotel, in Middleton One Row, Darlington.

The extraction equipment will still be located on the side of the building – as per the initial planning application – but will now be repositioned within the internal roof space.

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According to a heritage statement by the applicants: "The extraction equipment has previously been installed to the side of the hotel, where there are limited views from the wider Conservation Area, as was situated behind a 2m close boarded timber fence which further shields it from view.

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"The proposed changes would see the extraction equipment be installed internally within the roof space, with only the flue being visible externally.

"It is therefore considered that the development proposals will see an improvement on the setting of the Conservation Area compared with the previously approved scheme."