New housing in Durham County Council
We read Durham County Council's planning register every day. We hold 17,242 of its planning applications going back to 2017, and 96 of those made in the last 12 months are for new homes.
It delivered 131% of the homes it needed in the 2025 Housing Delivery Test.
Key facts
- Local Plan
- Not recorded yet.
- Five-year housing land supply
- Not recorded yet.
- Housing Delivery Test
- 131% (2025)
- Local Plan sites we hold
- None loaded yet.
- Planning applications we hold
- 17,242
Applications for new homes, by year
Applications we have identified as being for new homes, by the year they were made. Approved and refused count those decided so far.
| Year | Applications | Approved | Refused |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 83 | 37 | 8 |
| 2025 | 84 | 56 | 13 |
| 2024 | 76 | 58 | 9 |
| 2023 | 104 | 73 | 18 |
| 2022 | 104 | 73 | 12 |
| 2021 | 146 | 123 | 13 |
The largest housing schemes of the last three years
| Homes | Site | Status | Made |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | Lambton Park Development Site At Former County Show Ground Chester Road Bournmoor DH3 4DX Outline application for the demolition of the former Elephant House and former Giraffe House and associated buildings and development of up to 800 dwellings (Use Class C3) and ancillary uses (Use Class E & Sui Generis… DM/25/03472/OUT | Awaiting decision | 16 Dec 2025 |
| 368 | Land North And East Of Sniperley Farm Durham DH1 5RA S106A application to enter into a deed of variation (affordable housing) to an agreement dated 19 March 2024 made pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 relating to planning permission… DM/25/01783/S106A | Approved | 30 Jun 2025 |
| 290 | Land South Of Prospect House Prospect Business Park Leadgate DH8 7PW Screening opinion request for Development of up to 290 dwellings, open space provision, structural planting, SuDS features, and a Primary School SCR/25/00021 | Approved | 13 Nov 2025 |
| 250 | Land East Of Newton Grange Finchale Road Newton Hall DH1 5PR Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Opinion request in relation to a residential development comprising approximately 250 dwellings SCR/26/00003 | Approved | 9 Mar 2026 |
| 200 | Land To The West Of Castlefields Bournmoor DH4 6HH Outline planning application comprising the erection of up to 200 dwellings, with drainage, access, open space, landscaping and associated infrastructure, with all matters reserved except for access. DM/26/01011/OUT | Awaiting decision | 22 Apr 2026 |
| 196 | Land South Of A182 Cold Hesledon SR7 8RL Application for the discharge of Reserved Matters for 196no residential units consisting appearance, landscaping, layout and scale from application DM/24/01982/VOC for part of Cell D DM/25/02531/RM | Approved | 11 Sept 2025 |
| 176 | Land To The East Of Beacon Avenue Sedgefield TS21 3AE Erection of 176no. dwellings (Use Class C3) and associated access, infrastructure and landscaping DM/25/01625/FPA | Awaiting decision | 18 Jun 2025 |
| 158 | Land To The South Of Cockhouse Lane Ushaw Moor DH7 7PN Erection of 158 homes with associated landscaping and infrastructure (Amended Plans 9th Sept 2025). DM/25/01083/FPA | Approved | 23 Apr 2025 |
| 156 | Land North And West Of 3 Westerton Road Coundon DL14 8HF Outline application for up to 156 dwellings, including areas of open space, with all matters reserved except access. DM/25/03489/OUT | Refused | 16 Dec 2025 |
| 145 | Seaham Garden Village Cold Hesledon Seaham SR7 8SP Proposals for a demolition of existing farm buildings, full planning application for erection of 145 dwellings, and formation of associated landscaping and infrastructure, on land adjacent to Seaham Garden Village, Co.… SCR/24/00011 | Awaiting decision | 20 Aug 2024 |
Towns and villages
See every field round the edge of a town or village, scored for how likely it is to be built on.
- Annfield Plain
- Barnard Castle
- Beamish
- Billy Row
- Bishop Auckland
- Bishop Middleham
- Blackhall Colliery
- Blackhall Rocks
- Bournmoor
- Bowburn
- Bowes
- Brandon (County Durham)
- Burnhope
- Burnopfield
- Byers Green
- Castleside
- Chester-le-Street
- Chilton (County Durham)
- Cockfield
- Consett
- Cornforth
- Cotherstone
- Coundon and Leeholme
- Coxhoe
- Craghead
- Crook
- Croxdale
- Dipton
- Durham
- Easington (County Durham)
- Ebchester
- Eldon Lane and Coundon Grange
- Esh Winning
- Evenwood
- Fence Houses
- Ferryhill
- Fishburn
- Frosterley
- Gainford
- Great Lumley
- Hamsterley
- Hamsterley Mill
- Haswell
- Hetton le Hill
- High Pittington
- High Shincliffe
- Hobson
- Horden
- Howden-le-Wear
- Hunwick
- Kelloe
- Kirk Merrington
- Lanchester
- Langley Park
- Leadgate
- Low Westwood
- Medomsley
- Mickleton (County Durham)
- Middleton-in-Teesdale
- Murton (County Durham)
- Nettlesworth and Kimblesworth
- New Brancepeth
- Newfield
- Newton Aycliffe
- Ouston (County Durham)
- Pelton
- Peterlee
- Sacriston
- School Aycliffe
- Seaham
- Sedgefield
- Shadforth
- Sherburn (County Durham)
- Sherburn Hill
- Shildon
- Shotton Colliery
- South Hetton
- Spennymoor
- Staindrop
- Stanhope
Where this comes from
- Planning applications: Durham County Council's online planning register, last read 14 Nov 2026.
- Housing Delivery Test: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
- How fields are scored: how the score works.