Once the site of a restaurant, plans to transform the unit in Bishop Auckland Retail Park were approved on January 29 by Durham County Council following an application made by Prestige Car Direct Properties Limited.

The change of use from a restaurant/café to a travel agency does not involve any external alterations to the building, and there will be no changes to parking or waste storage arrangements.

The business is relocating to the retail park after its former lease in the town centre was not renewed due to the building’s outdated condition. Despite moving out of the town centre, the council has deemed the impact on Bishop Auckland town centre as minimal.

Proposals align with the County Durham Plan, on issues of unallocated sites and the retail hierarchy.

The planning team at Durham County Council raised no objections to the proposal during the consultation process.

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Public consultation also yielded no comments or objections, with 28 properties being notified of the change.

The new travel agency will use the main sewer system for surface water disposal and does not anticipate any impact on biodiversity, geological conservation, or flood risk.

The application, which was submitted and signed on August 9, 2024, was deemed exempt from the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements under the de minimis exemption, as it impacts less than 25 square metres of habitat.

Approval comes with conditions that the development must commence within three years from the date of approval and must be carried out strictly in accordance with the approved plans.

Additional notes on the approval letter encourage the applicant to adhere to considerate development practices, such as limiting construction noise during certain hours.

The council also warned that failure to comply with all conditions could lead to enforcement action.