AN AMBITIOUS economic masterplan is to be redrawn and resubmitted, after a judge agreed to quash a highly critical independent report.

Durham County Council’s County Durham Plan has been in limbo since planning inspector Harold Stephens rubbished it as flawed and unsound, back in February.

The council launched legal action to challenge the report and a deal has now been reached which will see the report quashed, the plan “amended and refreshed” and a new public inquiry held under a new inspector early next year.

Councillor Neil Foster, the council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “The outcome is sensible, reasonable and fair for the plan and for County Durham.”

The plan aims to create 30,000 new jobs, 31,400 new homes, 500 hectares of employment land and 9,500sq metres of retail space across County Durham by 2030.

Critics say it is way over the top and puts at risk the beauty and heritage of the county and Durham City in particular.