Plans to demolish a block of County Durham flats have been approved by the council after they were branded "surplus to requirements."

The four-storey block, located at 128 to 132 Helford Road, Peterlee, is set to be entirely demolished, with the land to be levelled, graded, and covered in topsoil before being seeded with grass.

Surrounded by green space, the land was deemed redundant and no longer necessary for local housing needs.

The planning process involved consultations with the ecology team, and a Preliminary Bat Roost Assessment was conducted.

Assessments concluded that the building posed a negligible risk to bats, so no further surveys were required.

The Environmental Health Nuisance Action Team raised no objections to the demolition but imposed a condition regarding working hours to mitigate potential nuisance to surrounding residents.

Working hours are restricted to 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and 7.30am to 2pm on Saturdays.

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The demolition process will begin with the building being stripped of all non-essential materials, such as asbestos, which will be carefully removed.

Demolition will then proceed using a combination of manual and mechanical equipment.

Once the building is down, the site will be levelled, graded, and reseeded with grass.

Safety measures, including perimeter fencing and warning signs, will be put in place, and only authorised personnel will be allowed within the exclusion zone.

The discovery of mining features must be reported, due to the site's location in a coal mining area.

Any contamination found during the process will halt operations and require adherence to risk assessment procedures.

Durham County Council granted prior approval for the demolition under the Town and Country Planning Act, confirming that the proposed demolition methods and site restoration plans meet the required criteria.