Green light for 550 new homes
HUNDREDS of houses are coming to the outskirts of a Gateshead village after two multi-million pound schemes were approved.
Members of Gateshead Council’s planning and development committee rubber-stamped two applications bringing a total of 550 houses to South Ryton.
Authority planners recommended approval for schemes for 283 houses on land south of Cushy Cow Lane and 267 homes east of Woodside Lane.
Both sites are part of the same ‘masterplan’ for the area and earmarked for residential development.
At Wednesday’s meeting the council’s principle solicitor advised the committee to be “consistent “in its decision making and said approving one scheme but not the other could cause legal issues.
Developer Bellway is going to build a mixture of homes on their 283house Cushy Cow
Lane development.
Housing bosses say the scheme will generate the equivalent of around 33 direct full-time jobs in the construction phase, as well as 39 ‘indirect’ full-time jobs.
The total construction investment value is approximately £39m and the New Homes Bonus paid out to the council from Government is around £2.5m.
There has been an outcry from residents of nearby Low Row who warned the extra traffic created by the project could be fatal. Local MP Liz Twist and ward councillor Chris Buckley have backed their constituents and sent letters to the authority objecting to both sets of plans.
Coun Buckley is not a member of the planning committee but attended the meeting to speak against the schemes.
He pointed to the disruption that the building works for the Cushy Cow Lane project would bring to residents who live on Stargate Lane and Low Row. “One to two heavy goods vehicles will enter the site per hour for the next seven to eight years, causing a significant increase in noise and dust,” he said.
“The impact of allowing the application will be extremely detrimental to residents that already have to deal with the landfill site. “Residents in Ryton and Stargate are already suffering enough, this is the final nail in the coffin and is putting the profits of one developer over the well-being of residents.”
James Hall, of Barton Willmore, who are acting as agents for Bellway, defended the plans.
He said: “I think these are very well considered and detailed proposals and are the culmination of all this hard work and the 283 homes are well needed.”
Councillors also voted to give Taylor Wimpey permission to develop a mix of 267 homes on land to the east of Woodside Lane.
The homes will be part of a £40m seven-year build scheme for the 13-hectare site.
More than 50 full-time construction jobs will be created, as well as dozens of jobs in support and associated supply chain sectors.
Councillor Buckley also spoke against these plans saying they would have a “considerable impact” on the community, and that old mine workings on the land are a flood risk.
He added: “Primary schools in Ryton are already oversubscribed with limited ability to expand.
“Look at the application properly and spare residents all the heartache they will have because of this development.”
David Abercrombie, Taylor Wimpey’s technical director, said the plans were “detailed and robust”.