North Tyneside Council has granted Avant Homes permission to build an extra 13 homes at a previously agreed site in Killingworth.
The site, 8.4 hectares of former farmland situated between the Salter’s Lane and Camperdown industrial estate, was originally designated for the construction of 200 homes back in 2017.
However, to cope with demand and market changes, Avant requested an expansion to the plans.
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A report delivered to North Tyneside’s planning committee said: “The proposal would make a small but valuable contribution towards the requirement for the council to have a 5-year supply of deliverable housing sites. This is a material consideration of significant weight in favour of the proposal.”
Weetslade Councillor Muriel Green asked council officers if allocated green and play spaces for children would be encroached upon. Planning officers confirmed the land would not be impacted.
Coun Green did voice concerns, saying: “I wish that these had been put in with the first planning application, because I think where you do get plans, it does pose a whole range of issues, not least for the people who have already moved into some of the properties.”
A councillor for Whitley Bay, John O’Shea, quizzed present planning officers as to whether the new homes would constitute overdevelopment.
Coun O’Shea was told if approved, the development would contain 25 homes per hectare. The average development contains around 30, so the council was assured overdevelopment will not be an issue.
One public objection was noted suggesting additional homes would contribute to increased traffic and the introduction of the smaller 13 homes onto the development would negatively affect house prices.
The council dismissed these concerns as house prices are not a material planning consideration for refusal and disagreed traffic would increase to unmanageable or unreasonable levels.
The proposal was passed unanimously, although Coun Green acknowledged she did so reluctantly.
Avant Homes will now be subject to several financial obligations including £6,920 for parks and greenspace and a contribution of £37,500 for primary education in the area.
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