ONE of Crook's landmark buildings is to be bulldozed to make way for houses four years after it was given a £500,000 refurbishment.

A last minute plea to planners from people living near the Uplands Hotel failed to stop Persimmon Homes being granted permission to build 16 detached properties on the site in Acacia Gardens.

Wear Valley District Council had given authority for the plot to be developed in 1998 and now the present development control committee has approved the latest bid.

In 1999, the hotel was bought by Durham pub chain Kingslodge Development, which undertook a complete refurbishment.

Uplands was built in 1910 by a German company. which sent employees to learn from the success of the nearby Bankfoot Coke Works, at that time renowned across the world for the quality of its coking coal. The building's first occupant was a Mr Schwartz.

A later owner was one of the town's GPs, Dr Caldwell and his family. It was converted into a hotel in 1947.

Coun Eddie Murphy said he was sad to lose the building as well as trees on the plot.

Following the application, the council approached English Heritage but the Edwardian red-brick building did not meet the criteria for listing. However, the organisation asked for a full photographic survey to be carried out before the building is demolished.

Coun Murphy said: "It is a shame that the Uplands is going but the committee had no choice. We had already given planning consent and we would have faced being fined if we had done anything different.

"Everybody had sympathy with the people who objected, but there was nothing we could do."

Persimmon Homes has confirmed it has agreed terms to buy the hotel. It intends to build three and four bedroomed, detached houses and garages