Councillor warning of 'number of problems' with proposed new housing estate
A councillor says he is objecting to plans for 234 new homes proposed on his patch.
Councillor Curt Pugh, a Conservative representing the Normanby ward on Redcar and Cleveland Council, claimed there were a “number of problems” with the potential development at Normanby High Farm, in Skippers Lane, Middlesbrough. Cllr Pugh described his fear that Skippers Lane would struggle to accommodate the additional traffic that would be generated, predicting 500 additional cars.
But he conceded: “The reality is though, despite objections of local residents and [those] I expect from fellow ward councillors representing Normanby, Teesville and South Bank, additional development at High Farm seems inevitable.” He raised the application, which was submitted in December, at a recent meeting of the council, calling on the local authority to ensure that new developments in the borough were tied to section 106 obligations, which see developers make financial contributions towards local infrastructure and services.
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Deputy council leader Carrie Richardson said the application, which consists of two, three, four and five bedroom terraced, semi-detached, and detached homes, was subject to public consultation and the area in question had been allocated for housing under the authority’s local plan. She said: “For a development of this type it is likely that the developer will need to consider matters such as parking provision, highways capacity, ecology and school place provision. Depending on the outcome, some of these issues may need to be mitigated through section 106 legal agreements.”
The council had previously envisaged about 150 new homes on the High Farm site with a community woodland also being established. This latter element has since been dropped, although areas of open space, creating a “central heart” to the development have been incorporated into the plans.
More than 70 objections from residents living nearby have already been received by the council. The site extends over more than ten hectares and is sited on the western edge of Teesville, with existing homes located to the north and south.
A design and access statement prepared for the applicant Strata said the proposal would help the council meet its housing needs. It said: “We have met both National Planning Policy Framework and local design policies and have worked closely and pro-actively with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to provide a thoughtful, considered layout that will enhance and reinforce the character of the area.”
Meanwhile, a planning statement submitted among a raft of documents described the land to be built on as privately owned and vacant consisting of scrub and scattered trees. It said the proposed properties would be designed to a high specification and in a “contemporary style”, while the site itself was also in a “highly sustainable” location.
The layout proposes a total of 529 parking spaces with vehicular access from Skippers Lane, with a further access route proposed through an existing development at Maplewood Drive.
A transport assessment calculated that the development would generate 120 two-way vehicle trips during peak morning hours and 125 two-way vehicle trips in the evening peak. The planning statement said: “The transport assessment concludes that the delivery of the proposed development will not result in unacceptable residual cumulative impacts upon the existing highway network and therefore in terms of highways, the development proposals are acceptable.”
Last month members of the regulatory committee turned down plans to build new homes on the site of the Smiths Dock Inn pub, in Skippers Lane, amid concern over the suggested mix of properties and the size of the scheme in relation to its environs.
New house building targets introduced by the Labour Government in a bid to address a housing shortage and boost the economy mean Redcar and Cleveland Council will be required to deliver approximately 559 new homes annually in future years through planning permissions.
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