By Ben Kerrigan-
Whilst there were historic breaches of planning regulations at the estate where Dominic Cummings stayed on his trip to Durham during lockdown, no action will be taken, Durham County Council has confirmed.
Senior adviser and UK government strategist, Dominic Cummings, has been the subject of fierce criticism from the press and the public for alleged breaches in lockdown regulations during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Cummings and at least two members of his family had symptoms of Covid-19, but rather than self isolate in accordance with government regulations, he panicked and travelled to Durham to make arrangements for his daughter
Durham County Council plans to pass the findings on to the Valuation Office Agency to see if his family’s extra building is liable for council tax.
The council investigated the planning status after receiving a number of complaints following an online article by journalist Alex Tiffin that found no record of a planning application for a cottage on the estate.
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The investigation found that the only planning applications listed on the council’s website for the farm are for a roof over a swimming pool in 2001, and the removal of various trees.
Revelation by the UK Guardian and the Daily Mirror that the prime minister’s senior adviser spent part of the lockdown in a cottage on his parents’ estate at North Lodge, on the outskirts of Durham led to much uproar by Mps and members of the public.
The uproar was worsened by Cumming’s refusal to apologise for his actions and breaching the public confidence in the government.
Cummings admitted travelling 260 miles from London with his wife and four-year-old son to get to the family home of his mother and father, Robert and Morag Cummings.
The Prime Minister’s special aide stayed at the property, North Lodge Farm, on the A167 Darlington Road, near Durham, after he and his wife developed coronavirus symptoms in March.
During a Downing Street press conference Mr Cummings said the “cottage” he stayed in was “sort of concrete blocks”.
His father bought the farm in 1999 and two years later was granted permission for the erection of a pitched roof structure over an existing swimming pool.
Other than tree-felling, this is the only planning application related to the address on Durham County Council’s online planning portal.
Mr Timmings said: “The investigation concluded that the main house has not been subdivided and that the residential use of an outbuilding for family accommodation does not require planning permission. However, advice has been provided in relation to building control.
“We have also looked into the complaints raised in respect of non-payment of council tax and will be passing our findings on to the Valuation Office for its consideration and review.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he considers the Cummings saga closed.
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