We all know there is significant demand for property in and around Darlington, and there is a need for more homes in the area. However, this doesn’t mean that each and every propose development is welcomed with open arms.
An example of this comes with opposition to a plan to bring 200 homes to Middleton St George. The initial application was amended to take away a second access point, and a considerable number of objections means Darlington Borough Council have a lot to consider.
Planning consultants AMS took the trouble of preparing a statement for the council, which states; “As confirmed by the council’s Highways Officer and reconfirmed by the submitted Highways Technical Note prepared by SAJ Transport, the Greenway/Grendon Gardens has the technical capacity to support the entirety of the approved scheme during both the construction and occupation stages."
The Darlington and Stockton Times provides objections from people, explaining some of the issues which locals have with these plans.
The first provided objection said; “As a resident of The Greenway, I object to this proposed change. There is already a lot of traffic using The Greenway as a thoroughfare and the junction is very busy with traffic for the rail station, school and pharmacy. I ask that the original plan to use High Stell as additional access to Middleton Waters be kept in place.”
The second stated objection is as follows; “These dwellings were originally to be accessed from High Stell, not the Greenway, and the application was granted on that basis. I note the Highways report states 'It can be seen that with 274 houses accessed from it, The Greenway would still be operating below the capacity set by the Council’s guidance. This takes no notice of the fact that traffic is constantly log-jammed on Belle Vue Terrace leading from the Greenway. Cars are parked on both sides of the road, for access to amenities, which in effect leaves only one lane open for lorries, farm vehicles and buses, which all struggle to get through.”
The third and final objection provided by the news source states; “The road is constantly busy from the early hours and there are some very heavy vehicles using this road already when they should really be using the ring road. This will most certainly only increase – it causes pollution both in terms of noise and environment and potential structural issues with the properties along the road. There are very few safe crossing areas – in fact none from the entrance off the A67 to outside the Cocks Memorial homes. There are lots of elderly people, dog walkers and children, with no pedestrian refuges until that point. If these houses get built with that being the only access route then the quality of life for us residents will be severely reduced."
Contact Anthony Jones for all Darlington property matters
If you are looking for help with any matter of the Darlington property market, it is best to speak to property professionals. No one knows for sure what is going to happen next, so we won’t claim to have all the answers, but the Anthony Jones team is keen to help you as best we can. If you would like to contact us over housing matters, please call us today on 01325 776424.
