The future of the former library site in Newton Aycliffe remains unclear after its owners told Aycliffe Today a decision on its development isn’t expected “for some time”.
Despite getting planning permission for a fast food restaurant on the site 19 months ago, nothing further about the proposal has been disclosed.
The town centre owners, Daejan (Durham), successfully applied to Durham County Council for outline planning permission for a fast food restaurant and drive-thru in February 2016.
Contractors dismantled and removed the pre-fab buildings which formed the old library on Central Avenue a month ago.
But there has been no further activity on the site since.
A spokesperson for the town centre management told us: “There has been no decision yet and it’s unlikely for some time as the works is not completed yet.”
Daejan’s application sought to establish the suitability of the site for the scale, type and use of the proposal which would be a single-storey 150m2 restaurant.
It would incorporate part of the ground floor of Aycliffe Shopping Centre multi-storey car park to create 25 parking spaces including five for disabled or parent and child customers.
The library hut had been on the Central Avenue site since 2009. Prior to that it had been vacant for a number of years following the closure of a petrol station.
Aycliffe’s new library officially opened in the town’s leisure centre in March this year.