PLANS for houses on a former petrol station could get the go-ahead after four years.

An application for houses on land at the former Broom Road filling station, at Ferryhill, was first submitted in 1999, but was turned down by Sedgefield Borough Council.

With the exception of the forecourt, the majority of the site was steeply sloping, limiting the amount of ground available for development.

At the time, planners said the proposal amounted to over-development of the site, and raised concerns that a significant number of mature trees would be lost.

The site remained undeveloped until last year, when a complaint that sand was being removed from the area was made to Durham County Council.

The council issued an enforcement notice for the work to stop and for the bankside to be restored.

The matter is under appeal, but a detailed planning application has been submitted in the meantime for three detached bungalows on the site.

The houses would face on to Station Road and a retaining wall would be built to the rear to support the soil and sand behind it.

The application is due to be heard by Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee today.

Ferryhill Town Council has objected to the application on the grounds that there are too many houses for the size of land.

A nearby resident has also lodged a complaint, saying there is not enough space, and that the sand extraction has left a "very unstable area which is an eyesore".

Planning officers will tell members that the proposal is acceptable, but will suggest entering into an agreement with the site owners to ensure certain works are carried out first.

A report to the meeting said: "The proposal in its revised form is considered to be acceptable and will ultimately secure improvements to the appearance of the site."

The agreement would require a detailed specification for the retaining wall and the ground reinstatement works, including the materials to be used and method of construction.

It will also ensure that the wall and ground reinstatement is completed before any work on the bungalows is started.