A BUSINESSMAN has vowed to fight on after plans to expand his leisure complex in a rural corner of County Durham were thrown out.

Dentist and entrepreneur Les Smith had applied for planning permission to erect a ski slope at Knitsley Mill, Knitsley, near Consett, along with holiday cottages, log cabins, an aircraft hangar and a grass airstrip.

Derwentside District Council's development control committee turned down all the plans at a meeting in Consett Civic Centre yesterday.

Mr Smith said he was most upset that the dry ski slope would not go ahead.

He bought the £350,000 slope from Wear Valley District Council at a knock-down £20,000, following the closure of the Spectrum leisure complex, in Willington.

Schools across Durham had pledged their support for the scheme to be sited at Knitsley, but there were 17 letters of objections from neighbours.

"This is the chance of a lifetime to put a ski slope in Derwentside," said Mr Smith. "I am perplexed at their attitude, but I will be re-applying.

"I think they are not looking at the future of Derwentside. Unless we bring in exciting things to do, we are going to die in the past."