A new village hall in Teesdale has received the green light.
However, reaction to the news that Middleton Village Hall has been given the go ahead has been mixed.
Plans for a new hall were passed by Durham County Council, despite concerns from the parish council that the project lacked sufficient parking spaces.
Upper Teesdale Community Association (UTCA) submitted the application for approval and the single-storey building will be erected on the site of the former village hall on Gas Lane, which was demolished in March after standing empty for five years.
Association member Cllr Richard Bell welcomed the news that the plans had been passed while confirming that not all the funding required to finance the new building is in place.
“The group have worked hard with the planners to answer concerns and get this far, and planning permission is a big step in the long road towards a new hall,” Cllr Bell told the Mercury.
“It’s not quite a case of starting immediately, as contractors won’t commit until permission is obtained, but we would hope to start soon.”
Last year, the UTCA secured £436,200 from the government’s community ownership fund for the rebuild of the hall. The original village hall was condemned due to safety concerns.
The new building will be measure approximately 27.34m x 20.50m and features a large area that can be utilised for sports and other pastimes, as well as changing facilities, showers and a kitchen/meeting room.
Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin Parish Council is in favour of a new village hall, but objected to the location, which is on a narrow road and sandwiched between the school and the fire station.
Parish council clerk Judith Mashiter submitted a letter to Durham County Council in May outlining those concerns.
“While the parish council supports, in principle, the provision of a modern village hall for the benefit of the local community, this application fails to meet the basic and expected standards for on-site parking,” she wrote on behalf of the parish council.
“The proposed village hall, with its intended use, will increase demand, particularly during evenings and weekends. Without dedicated on-site parking, this will directly exacerbate well-evidenced problems of road congestion, highway safety and day-to-day inconvenience for local residents.
“It is no longer acceptable, in 2025, to construct a sports and events-orientated venue without dedicated parking infrastructure, especially in a rural area where car use is essential for many users.”
Asked to comment on Durham County Council’s decision to pass the plans, Ms Mashiter told the Mercury that the parish council’s concerns about parking remain unchanged and the letter written in May still stands as a legitimate summary of those issues.
