No plots in Cockfield to build new homes for village's elderly

THE last of Cockfield’s seven almshouse bungalows has been sold – but there is nowhere in the village to use the money raised by their sale to build new homes for the elderly.
The Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association (DAMHA) has raised more than £200,000 from the sale of the bungalows and another £100,000 is available from reserves. Under its rules, money raised by the sale of the Cockfield homes must be spent in the village.
With no building plots available in the village, Cockfield Parish Council approached the DAMHA to ask whether the money could be spent on something else which would benefit the village. Clerk Phil Howard told members it could only be spent building on land the association had purchased.
Cllr Alan Oakley asked: “Why can’t we sell the old bowling green?”
Cllr Neville Singleton said this was a non-starter as Durham County Council had previously said there could be no more houses built at the bottom of Coronation Terrace.
“That means there are no more parcels of land in the village at the moment,” added Cllr Oakley.