THE owner of a house that was demolished because it was unsafe could be banned from rebuilding it.

Richard Hadland, of Skipbridge, in Hurworth Moor, near Darlington, has applied to Darlington Borough Council for permission to build a four-bedroom house.

The building would replace the gatehouse, which was part of the Skipbridge brickworks in the village.

The gatehouse was demolished last year when alterations to convert it into a home left it structurally unstable.

The planned house would be identical to the one which would have been developed from the gatehouse, which had planning permission.

However, planning officers are to recommend that permission is not granted for the gatehouse to be replaced because the new building is in a countryside area.

Council officer David McGaughey said: "While the circumstances surrounding the implementation of the original planning permission may be unfortunate, it is not considered that there are any special circumstances which would outweigh the strict planning policies that apply in this countryside location."

A decision is expected to be made by the council next week.