COUNCILLORS have approved plans to allow hospital staff to use a temporary car park, while a new hospital is built.

Contractors working on the University Hospital of North Durham, on the site of Dryburn Hospital, in Durham, have been parking on land next to the Sniperley roundabout for the last three years.

Now, hospital staff have been given official permission by the city council's development control committee to park on the site, until October 27.

The first part of the hospital has opened and when the multi-million pound development is completed a permanent on-site car park with 580 places, compared to the current 475 places available on-site, will be in use.

The planning application, by the North Durham Healthcare Trust, was opposed by four residents, the City of Durham Trust and the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).

Concerns included conflicts between traffic using the car park and traffic on the nearby main road, noise, litter and the site's location in a green belt.

The CPRE is worried that the scheme could set a precedent and become permanent and the trust objected to what it called the "extended period of use."

Planning officials told councillors that the scheme was originally proposed to prevent parking outside neighbouring homes.

A report to the committee said that while the proposal was not ideal, "it is likely that if the car parking was restricted, the parking would be displaced into residential streets, further causing inconvenience and affecting safety."

Parking will be restricted to permit holders. After the finish date of October 27, the site will be re-instated.