PLANS to build 230 houses next to the ancestral home of folk hero Bobby Shafto have moved a step closer.

Members of Sedgefield Borough Council's planning committee agreed with officer recommendations to give the development on the outskirts of Spennymoor the go-ahead, subject to certain conditions being met.

The scheme, on one corner of the former Whitworth Colliery site to the west of Carr Lane, could pave the way for a larger development on the rest of the site.

A consortium of developers, comprising Bellway, Persimmon and Yuill, have made the application, which consists of a mixture of detached, semi-detached and terraced properties.

The developers had originally hoped to build 790 homes and a community park in Whitworth Park.

That proposal was withdrawn because of changes to government guidelines, but there is still considerable interest in the rest of the site.

Council planning officer Charlie Walton said the plan was in-line with current government thinking.

He said: "From a planning point of view it's a welcome development. We have spent an inordinate amount of time to ensure we've got the best residential development for the town of Spennymoor."

The development is subject to a Section 106 agreement, which will ensure some money is put aside for environmental and highway improvement works.

Because the development is on a brown field site which is part of a larger green field site, the application will have to be referred to the Government Office for the North-East for 21 days to see if it needs to be looked at more closely.

Council members voiced their approval for the scheme, which they agreed would be beneficial for the town.