A PROPOSAL to build 56 new homes in the centre of a County Durham town have been given permission by councillors.

The plans to build the homes in Consett were given approval by councillors on Derwentside District Council, subject to conditions including that the land be drained.

The dwellings will be built on the Project Genesis site, south of Parliament Street, at the site of the former steelworks.

Permission was first granted in September, but the plans were re-submitted following consultations with nearby residents.

Councillors were satisfied that concerns raised by residents, including parking and traffic worries, had been adequately addressed by planners