Plans for a new 152-bedroom four-star hotel overlooking a cricket ground have been recommended for approval.
Durham Cricket is seeking to build the six-storey hotel at its Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street.
Plans submitted to Durham County Council suggest it will have a seating terrace that provides views across the cricket ground.
The local authority is due to decide on the scheme on 25 June.
The planning application has received 24 objections from the public including concerns the hotel could worsen existing parking pressures during major cricket matches and events.
The club said the proposals would not result in “unacceptable parking or highway safety impacts”.
The hotel will have a car park, a restaurant, a bar and meeting spaces.
Hotel operator Hilton has expressed an interest in running the development, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Tourism body Visit County Durham has backed the proposal.
It said the hotel would help meet an identified need for additional overnight accommodation in the county.
Article Link: Durham Cricket ground hotel plans recommended for approval – BBC News
Article by: Bill Edgar
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Article Published: 18 June 2026
