Green light set for luxury holiday lodge scheme

Plans to create a luxury holiday lodge complex near the Beamish Museum look set to go ahead.The application to create 24 holiday units is earmarked for a nine-acre site on land to the North West of Beamish Hall Hotel.A reception building is also proposed alongside the lodges, which will include a waiting area, staff bathroom, office and storage space.The holiday homes will be a mixed of six two-bedroom lodges, 14 three-bedroom lodges and four four-bedroom lodges and each unit will include a decked area to the front with a hot tub.A report, which will be scrutinised by Durham planning committee, said that Beamish, which shows life in the North East from 1820-1950, makes a “significant contribution” to the local economy attracting tourism to the area as well as raising awareness of other tourism assets.It added: “The impact of the Coronavirus has heavily impacted all aspects of life and the British economy, therefore this proposal to create luxury holiday accommodation in close proximity to such resources will greatly aid in the generation of tourist activity within County Durham.”Additionally, a planning statement prepared by Hedley Planning Services said that the scheme would result in increased footfall, which will generate more income “which can be used to sustain the long-term sustainability of heritage assets, jobs and services within the area”.The report concluded that the proposals would lead to some harm to the setting of the heritage assets, but added that the benefits would “outweigh the less than substantial harm to the setting”.As a result of this, the application will go before Durham Area Planning Committee (North) on Thursday 27 October with the recommendation for approval.