The Darlington Urban Capacity Study (DUCS) provides a snapshot of the estimated potential capacity for new housing within the main urban area of Darlington and the Borough’s larger serviced villages. The study has been carried out in accordance with Government guidance. It was undertaken and agreed by a group led by the Borough Council and including representatives of the House Builders Federation, a registered social landlord, local architects, a local estate agent and Darlington Civic Trust. The study was completed in April 2004 and the baseline for data was taken as 31st December 2003.
The results of the study will help the Council to estimate the number of new dwellings that can be accommodated in the built up areas in the period to 2016, and will help in setting a realistic target for the re-use of previously developed land and buildings for housing within the Borough. They will also inform the preparation of statutory planning documents, such as the Darlington Local Development Framework and the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy.
Note that the study is a technical document: decisions on the sites that should be allocated for housing or granted planning permission for new housing development will be made by the Borough Council through its plan making and development control processes.
The Executive Summary, the main study and the appendices are available here to download (see below). A DUCS update and monitoring report, for the year 1st January to 31st December 2004 has also been prepared and is available to download.
If you require paper copies of any of the above documents, or would like any more information about the study, please contact planning.policy@darlington.gov.uk.
Last Updated - 05/05/2006