New homes for County Durham village approved

Plans to create up to 400 new homes and local services as part of a major residential development scheme in a County Durham village have been given the green light.

The move, which includes detailed approval for the construction of the first 140 dwellings, will see Barratt Homes North East deliver a mix of two-bedroom bungalows as well as two, three, four and five-bedroom houses on land at Red Barns in Brandon.

A number of affordable homes are also planned for the site in the initial phase of development, with a local centre incorporating up to 4,000 sq. ft of Class E use retail space as part of phase two.

A mini-mobility hub, associated landscaping, boundary fencing with brick walls and timber infill panels located on the more prominent plot boundaries to improve proposed street scenes, are also planned.

Onsite work on the first phase is expected to start February 2026 with the first homeowners starting to move in September  2026.

The scheme, which will offer greater choice to first time buyers as well as those families looking to move up the property ladder, will pump at estimated £11m of increased expenditure into the local economy over the next few years, according to North East planning specialist Hedley Planning, which has secured approval from Durham County Council planning committee.

Director Joe Ridgeon said getting the green light will provide a much-needed boost to local housing stock and comes as the Government continues to push for the delivery of new homes to meet the chronic property shortage in the North of England.

“Planning approval is welcome news, heralding high-quality homes and facilities in this part of County Durham,” he added. “It will support job creation, the local supply chain and deliver a development that people can be proud of and look forward to creating a new community. This is a positive step for the area and we now look forward to seeing the development come to fruition.”