Fears raised over plan for block of flats

Kepier Homes - made up of the Three Rivers Housing Group and Laing O'Rourke - is seeking permission from Durham City Council for four, three-storey blocks containing 70 flats at Kepier Court, off Mayorswell Close, Gilesgate.

The 41 university flats on the site, which includes Kepier House, have been replaced by new accommodation built by the developer on land next to the city's University Hospital of North Durham.

A 120-name petition and 20 letters of objection have been sent to the council's planning department from residents in the area.

Spokesman Alan Lumsdon, of Kepier Terrace, said: "The proposal is ugly, wholly out of scale with the existing houses in the area and designed to make maximum profits, rather than meet the real need for affordable housing in Durham City.

"There are real anxieties that the geology of the site cannot support the size of buildings proposed and that pile driving will disturb the rather precarious glacial sand, damaging the foundations of houses in the vicinity of the development.''

Mr Lumsdon said the blocks would be built on stilts and have car parking underneath, but residents were worried the parking would be insufficient

Mr Lumsdon added that residents were angry that the developers had been in pre-application talks with city planners for some time but they had not been consulted about the proposals.

"These (flats) will be isolated blocks and won't be integrated into the community.''

Craig Downs, for the Three Rivers Housing Group, said Kepier Homes had been working closely with the council's planners on the project and was trying to create "the best quality development for the size of the site''.

He added: "We would like to hear what residents have to say and address any concerns that they have."

A council spokesman said there had been a large number of objections and planning officers would raise these concerns with the applicants