A COUPLE are to appeal against a planning decision that could threaten their hopes of setting up a fish farm in a remote corner of County Durham.

John and Joan Linney, from Shotley Bridge, have spent several years and hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to set up their enterprise in countryside surrounding Derwent Reservoir near Edmundbyers.

They already have planning permission for four growing ponds and have spent £235,000 on access roads, an agricultural shed and water and electricity connections.

But councillors in Wear Valley have now twice refused to let them build a temporary home on the site, which lies inside the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Northumberland Wildlife Trust is against the development because of the presence of breeding otter in the area and claims that it might not meet the criteria for a Defra licence.

Edmundbyers residents have also objected claiming it is unsightly and detrimental to the area of outstanding natural beauty.

Mr and Mrs Linney are already waiting for a public inquiry to hear their appeal against a previous refusal.

Their agent Ian Self, from Ward Haddaway, cited a planning inspector's opinion on another fish farm proposal at Witton-le-Wear Lido, which said that temporary accommodation could be justified because of the need to attend to stock and deal with round-the-clock emergencies.

The council's development control committee, however, went against a recommendation from regeneration director Bob Hope that the Linney's application should be granted.

Stanhope councillor Richard Mews said the impact on the AONB should be a prime consideration. He said: "This is a beautiful site and would be spoiled. It would set a dangerous precedent for developments in the AONB."

Mr Self said: "Mr and Mrs Linney are determined to appeal. They have invested too much time, money and resources in this venture to let it go now. Mr Linney grew up on a fish farm and has expertise in that line. They want to run it themselves."

Edmundbyers resident Roy Tyerman said: "We have thought all along that this was an unnecessary development."