Council defends ‘outdated update’

COUNTY officers have defended their update of Barnard Castle’s masterplan after parts of it were found to be outdated.
The refreshed version of the masterplan was approved by Durham County Council’s cabinet last month. 
The document is the council’s regeneration framework for the town.
But locals have said the figures don’t reflect the current reality and there is much more to shout about.
A major issue is the number of vacant shops in the town centre, which the masterplan puts at eight per cent.
The plan quotes figures from 2015 when there were 15 empty units.
But one town businessman said he was only aware of two empty business premises in the high street.
The critic, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “This must be the lowest vacancy rate in the country – we should be shouting this from the roof tops".”
However, officers say the latest figures were not available when the report was finalised.
Stuart Timmiss, head of planning and assets, said: “The masterplan updates were written with the most up-to-date information available at the time, before the plans were then submitted through the council’s processes for sign off before ultimately being agreed by the cabinet in December and January.
“However, the masterplan updates will be subject to regular review, with the council working closely with residents and businesses through our area action partnerships, to ensure that they remain relevant to the areas that they cover.”
Another area of dispute is the number of new homes that have been built.
The masterplan put this at 71, but it is understood Taylor Wimpey alone has built 111 houses – 74 at Castle Vale and 37 at Bowes Gardens.
County officers say they have only counted houses that have had a formal completion certificate issued.
A spokesperson for the county council said: “Although other homes may be in the process of being built or finished externally, these are only recorded when fully complete so double counting cannot take place.”
He added that the figures in the masterplan reflect the number of certificates issued up to January 1 this year.
Figures for the town’s mini golf course at Scar Top are also dated, but again officers say they used the latest figures available to them.
Their figures show the number of people using the course grew from 3,540 in 2012 to 6,118 in 2013.
Not mentioned in the masterplan is that there has been further growth and the figures for 2016 show that 7,040 people used the golf course.
The updated plans profile towns across the county, detailing investment and work, as well as plans for the future.