COUNCIL chiefs say they are “beyond disappointed” at Harold Stephens’ damning report on their economic masterplan.

Councillor Neil Foster, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said the Government wanted economic and housing growth, the North-East had to maximise these opportunities and the council had worked with partners, businesses and residents to produce a County Durham Plan (CDP) to deliver just that for Durham and the wider region.

“To learn at this stage of the inspector’s reservations and recommendations is beyond disappointing,” Cllr Foster said.

“We have been clear for many years that to turn around the county’s economic prosperity an ambitious and forward-thinking partnership approach is required.

“We have only just been given the report but we are extremely concerned that by not having this carefully thought through and managed approach our communities will be left vulnerable to speculative and unplanned development.

“We will be taking up our concerns with DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) and we remain absolutely committed to finding a way forward which will give businesses and communities in our county a realistic and prosperous future.”

However, others took a different view.

Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Martin said Mr Stephens’ report “tears the guts out” of the CDP, branded the situation a debacle and called on Cllr Foster to consider his position.

Mark Wilkes, also a Lib Dem, said the CDP had been ripped to shreds.

“We have said all along that the plan was utterly unsound, including the unnecessary over-the-top green belt destruction.

“Lib Dem councillors, residents and environmental groups have been 100 per cent vindicated.

“Labour should apologise for their complete failure to listen to people and the stress and uncertainty so many have felt over these plans. We will be demanding urgent talks with officers on the next steps to be taken.”

Roger Cornwell, from the City of Durham Trust, said he was pleased Mr Stephens had found “so comprehensively” on the side of the objectors.

“It’s a disaster for the county that the council failed the listen to the representations that we were making at earlier stages.

“Had they done so, we could well be on the way to having a CDP by now. Instead, realistically adoption must be put back by something like two years.

“Had the council not taken such a blinkered view, we would not be in this situation. Questions must now be asked about why they got it so comprehensively wrong.”

Independent councillor John Shuttleworth said: “It has been a total waste of money. I made representations a number of times because everything was centred on growth in Durham and the central corridor and nothing else.

“It was steamrollered through, but it strangled anything west of Durham. They were trying to grow everything in Durham and nothing anywhere else.”

Jonathan Elmer, from the County Durham Green Party, said he was delighted.

“Hopefully, we can now move forward with the preparation of a new plan that respects the environment and heritage of the county and provides for the real housing, transport and economic needs of people across Durham.”

The Friends of Durham Green Belt, which proposed an alternative plan to the CDP based on what it called moderate growth, is considering Mr Stephens’ report, as are many businesses and developers across the county and beyond.