Land To The North West Of Ludwell Eastgate DL13 2LG Data via plota.co.uk

DM/26/02338/MIN - Mineral application Pending Consideration

Proposal

Installation of abstraction boreholes, reinjection boreholes and lithium processing plant to enable lithium production for a period of 40 years followed by decommissioning and restoration Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
4 Sept 2026
✓
Validated
23 Sept 2026
✓
Consultation
2 Oct 2026
Decision
Expected by 13 Jan 2027

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision around 18 Nov 2026, from Durham's recent commercial and major works.

Comments are open until 23 Oct 2026

Comment on this application ↗

Documents 42

Statements & assessments 39

PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - MAIN TEXT Supporting Information · 22 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS Supporting Information · 22 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 11 - AGRICULTURAL LAND CLASSIFICATION AND SOIL MANAGEME Supporting Information · 22 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 12 - STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Supporting Information · 22 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 2 - PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND ACCESS REPORT Supporting Information · 22 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 10 - AIR EMISSIONS Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 4.B2 - BNG METRIC CALC TOOL (MAC-OFF) Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - NON-TECH SUMMARY Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 4 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 3 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 5 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 1 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 2 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 3 - LVIA APP 2 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 4 - LVIA APP 3 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 1 - LVIA MAIN TEXT Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 2 - LVIA APP 1 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 5 - LVIA APP 4.1 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 6 - LVIA APP 4.2 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 7 AND END Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 7 - LVIA APP 5 Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.A - PART 8 - PLANS Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT - APPENDIX 6.B Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 1 - GROUND INVESTIGATIONS Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 3 - DESIGN AND ACCESS REPORT Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 4.A - PART 2 - ECOLOGY APPENDICES Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 4.B1 - ECOLOGY BNG ASSESSMENT Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 4.A - PART 1 - ECOLOGY MAIN TEXT AND DRAWINGS Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 4.C - ECOLOGY HMMP Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 5 - NOISE Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 7 - ARBORICULTURE Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 6.B - LIGHTING DRAWINGS Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 6.C - LIGHTING PLANS Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 6.A - LIGHTING - MAIN TEXT Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 8 - CULTURAL HERITAGE Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 9.A - PART 2 - TRANSPORT STATEMENT - APPENDICES Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 9.A - PART 1 - TRANSPORT STATEMENT MAIN TEXT Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 9.B - PART 2 - TRAFFIC MGMT PLAN - APPENDICES Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT - APP 9.B - PART 1 - TRAFFIC MGMT PLAN - MAIN TEXT Supporting Information · 4 Sept 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 5

Agricultural land, grade 3b
Not best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s), which most planning maps still show, had this area as grade 5. The predicted grade is Defra's current estimate; only a site survey settles it.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Radon affected area, class 4; National landscape 251 m away: North Pennines; Coalfield, development low risk area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Mining Remediation Authority, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
Durham
Application type
Mineral application
Postcode
DL13 2LG
Received
4 Sept 2026
Validated
23 Sept 2026
Ward
Weardale
Parish
Stanhope
Case officer
Show
Target decision
13 Jan 2027
Decision level
Committee
Applicant
Show
Agent
Zetland Group

Decision outlook

Day 16 of the 56-day target. Durham usually decides commercial and major works by day 56.

Day 1640 days to the 56-day target
60%decided within 8 weeks
91%approved
10%go to committee

Plota live figures for commercial and major works decided by Durham in the last twelve months, from validation. Durham decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

93 neighbours consulted · Last counted 3 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15072865
Planning Portal ref
PP-15072865
Neighbours
2 Oct 2026
Consultation
2 Oct 2026
Comments by
23 Oct 2026
Statutory expiry
13 Jan 2027
Env. assessment
Yes
Durham
Planning Authority Score
5.2/10
Average
#137 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Durham ranks #190 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. 48% of applications have the time limit extended, above the 41% national average. Householder applications are more likely to be approved here than most councils, with a 97% approval rate vs 90% nationally.

More permissive than most councils
97% approved vs 90% nationally
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Durham decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
93%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #52 of 296
97%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #29 of 296
59%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #190 of 296
48%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #213 of 296
79%
Minor dwellings approved
95 decided (1-9 homes)
90%
Major dwellings approved
49 decided (10+ homes)
87%
Change of use approved
201 decided
1,706
Total decisions
113 refused in the year to March 2026