Planning blueprint 'will blight County Durham'.

(From The Northern Echo)

Byline: Julia Breen

COUNCIL chiefs last night pledged to fight a "diabolical" planning blueprint which threatens the future of two flagship developments expected to create thousands of jobs. The report threatens to undermine economic regeneration in County Durham, suggesting that the expansion of science park Netpark, in Sedgefield, should be limited, and the proposed rail freight interchange at Tursdale, near Durham, should be scrapped. Durham County Council yesterday urged residents and businesses to voice their opposition to the suggestions outlined in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), to Secretary of State Ruth Kelly. The RSS is the planning blueprint that will determine development in the region for the next 15 years. Netpark is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs over the next five years through a series of developments including a GBP20m innovation village and a GBP10m centre for plastic electronics. While these projects have already been approved and are not directly under threat, any further development at Netpark - seen as being key to the future of the regional economy - could be stopped. This is because the RSS says that the research and development potential of the region's universities would be better exploited at the Baltic Business Park or Newcastle Great Park, rather than Netpark. The report also suggests that the proposed Tursdale freight terminal - a 480-acre road-rail interchange ...