County Durham Plan - Call for Sites
The first stage in the process to prepare a new County Durham Plan is to carry out a Call for Sites.
What is a Call for Sites?
This is an opportunity for landowners, developers and other interested parties to suggest sites in the county that may have potential for future development.
Who can get involved?
Anyone can submit a site for consideration including landowners, developers and agents, parish and town councils, local residents, community groups and public sector bodies.
If you know of land that could support future development, we encourage you to take part.
What types of sites are we looking for?
We are interested in a wide range of site types, including:
- land for housing (including affordable or specialist housing)
- employment land (for example offices, industrial, logistics)
- mixed-use developments
- land for renewable energy, community facilities, or green infrastructure
- land for minerals and waste sites
Please note the Call for Sites process is separate to the planning application process. The submission of a site for consideration does not necessarily mean that the site will be taken forward. It is often the case that more sites will be submitted at this stage than are needed to meet the future needs of the area.
What information is required?
Please provide as much detail as possible in your submission, including:
- current land use and ownership
- proposed use(s)
- site constraints or known issues
- availability and timescales for development
The call for sites is open until Friday 5 September 2025.
Submissions received after the deadline may not be considered in the initial assessment phase.
Phases
Submit your site suggestions
Our Call for Sites system allowed you to:
- select a piece of land using the Land Registry map, or draw your own site boundary
- answer a few questions about the site
- submit your suggestion directly to us for assessment
There are how-to videos available to help you add a site to a map, but the system does not comply with accessibility legislation. If you need help, please contact our planning team at planningpolicy@durham.gov.uk for:
- information in an alternate format
- help completing your online submission
The call for sites is open until Friday 5 September 2025. Submissions received after the deadline may not be considered in the initial assessment phase.