Housing will have an impact
Towns and cities right across the country are struggling to identify suitable locations for housing developments.
A national shortage means local authorities are always looking for the most accessible sites to build new homes.
It is a task which is almost always met with problems as very rarely is there any available land to develop which will not have a negative impact in some form or other.
And Sunderland is no different. The city council’s decision to reduce the number of potential green belt housing sites to 11 from 15 has provoked an angry reaction from the Save Penshaw Green Belt Group.
And you can understand why. One of the 11 remaining options is a 23.9-hectare plot in the shadow of Penshaw Monument, the iconic landmark which stands proudly on the city’s boundary.
The group say the potential for 400 homes, combined with nearby housing developments, would “put a strain on local services”, which is a fact, it will. New homes bring people, which results in more traffic on the local roads, a need for more school places and accessible health services.
The campaign group say it is “an outrage that we have been ignored” after there were 800 objections and 2,000 signatures opposing potential development.
The council said it has “followed national planning guidelines” and “has taken on board all the responses and amended the plan to addresses these, where possible”.
All well and good, but just how much of an impact will a potential 400 homes have on the character and landscape of what is a popular green belt location outside the city centre? More answers are needed.