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Search the Public Notice Portal Plans to finish a long-stalled County Durham housing estate dubbed a "ghost town" are still waiting for approval ten months after an application was submitted.
The development next to the A688 at Evenwood Gate, near Bishop Auckland, has sat unfinished since 2022.
Homes appear completed but remain unoccupied four years on.
The site, home of the Brown Jug Inn before its 2015 demolition, has remained dormant, with residents who live nearby calling it a "ghost town" and "road to nowhere".
Thirteen homes are expected to be included in the development
The unfinished housing development
(Image: Stuart Boulton/NORTHERN ECHO)
Fresh hopes of finishing it were submitted in October last year by Marfen Homes Ltd, proposing variations to the original permission, specifically conditions 2, 6 and 9, to deliver a new turning head on the site.
(Image: Stuart Boulton/NORTHERN ECHO)
But, ten months on from the application going in, the proposals remain 'pending consideration' by Durham County Council, with no set timeframe for when it might be considered.
The planning portal states the 'determination deadline' was May 22; just under three months ago.
Durham County Council has now said the decision has been delayed, as further documentation is needed.
Stephen Reed, Durham County Council’s planning manager, said: “Both applications required the submission of updated contaminated land information.
"These were submitted on Wednesday, August 12 and are currently undergoing consultation.”
The unfinished housing development at Evenwood Gate
(Image: Stuart Boulton/NORTHERN ECHO)
Images from the site, taken by The Northern Echo last year, showed finished properties with doors, windows, fencing, and garden spaces, but also overgrown weeds, construction debris, and blocked access.
Residents have repeatedly voiced their frustration and concerns about the long-standing delay, including to the Echo, when we visited the site last year.
One resident, who has lived in Evenwood Gate for three years, said she has only once seen construction equipment on-site during her time in the village.
A safety fence at the Evenwood Gate site
(Image: Stuart Boulton/NORTHERN ECHO)
She said: "If there were more houses in Evenwood Gate, it might encourage cars to slow down a bit or encourage councils and other groups to enforce the speed limit a bit more."
Google Maps imagery from as early as 2017 shows the site empty, but by 2018, construction had clearly begun.
The state at Evenwood Gate
(Image: Stuart Boulton/NORTHERN ECHO)
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The estate has changed little since June 2023, with the houses complete but no supporting infrastructure in place.
Concerns about the appearance and safety of the site have grown over time.
Weeds have been seen growing through railings up to four feet high, building materials left in garden areas, and construction fencing blocking the main entrance from the A688.