Plans to formally greenlight the conversion of Darlington flats into a three-bed house have been lodged with the council.

Mr Scott Thompson has applied for a Certificate of Lawfulness for an Existing Use, seeking to confirm that the conversion of two flats into a single dwelling is lawful.

The application, submitted on Monday, October 23, outlines the transformation of a ground-floor one-bedroom flat and a first-floor two-bedroom flat at 3 Stanhope Road North, back into a three-bedroom mid-terrace house.

The property, which has been reverted to its original state, began its current use as a single house on September 9.

An application argues the work carried out does not constitute "development" needing planning permission, based on the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

This exemption applies to works affecting only the interior of a building.

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Conversion from two flats to one house is also not considered a material change of use.

The application further asserts there is no local policy in Darlington opposing such a conversion, unlike some jurisdictions where maintaining housing diversity is a concern.

Supporting this claim, a letter from Prism Planning highlights that the conversion enhances the conservation area.

The submission of the application is part of a property sale, which hinges on the approval of the application.

Conversion has resulted in a net reduction of residential units from two to one, and a site visit confirmed the property can be viewed from a public road.

The property is owned by Mr Thompson and conversion has been completed without prior advice from the local authority.

The application is yet to be decided and now awaits a formal decision from Darlington Borough Council.