New homes plan despite objections
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build almost 100 homes on a community field in West Denton could get the goahead this week, despite hundreds of objections.
Neighbours fear that Keepmoat Homes’ visions of building on the land at Thornley Road would rob them of beloved green space and cause “immense disruption and inconvenience”.
However, city planners are recommending that councillors give their backing to the 96-home designs at a Newcastle City Council planning committee hearing on Friday.
Council bosses have also repeatedly denied claims that the land has been sold to developers for just £1, insisting that it remains in council ownership for now and “has not even been valued”.
More than 300 people have signed a petition urging the council to stop the land sale and leave the field as open space.
Jason Smith, of the Newcastle Independents group, said that the field should be for local people to enjoy and fears major traffic and parking issues will be caused by the construction.
He said: “The council has deemed at some time in the past that we needed that land as open space.
“Yet we consistently infill land that people do use to some degree or another. It’s not even about what people use the field for, it’s also about having greenery and open space.
“Shoving extra houses on there is not adding anything to the community.”
In 40 further objections lodged with the council, residents raised fears about the extra pressure that 96 new homes would place on local roads.
One objector wrote: “For years people, including me and my family and friends, have used and still use this field for walking dogs and allowing small children to play.
“There is currently very little green space in West Denton to exercise and this is why I object to the build.
“Also the volume of traffic from construction vehicles and noise and pollution will cause immense disruption and inconvenience to existing householders and if the houses got built the traffic volume, noise etc would be unbearable.”
However, city planners argue in their report to committee members that Keepmoat’s pledge to put £150,000 towards new recreation space in the area will outweigh the loss of the field.
The report also finds that the developer “demonstrated that the existing highway network can accommodate the additional traffic generation” and that parking levels would be “sufficient”.
The planners, who are recommending that councillors are minded to grant planning permission, said: “While these proposals do not fully compensate for the loss of this amenity green space, the proposal would include new outdoor gym and fitness trail, multi-sports goalmouth, enhanced play space, seating and formal planting. It is therefore considered that this higher quality and wider variety of open space would be more valuable to the community than additional amenity green space for which the ward already has a surplus.
“As such the benefits brought about by the proposal including the provision of 31.7% affordable housing are considered to outweigh the harm caused through the loss of the open space.”
In their planning application, Keepmoat argued that the field is “poor quality, offers very limited recreational value and is demonstrated to be surplus to requirement”.
The developer is proposing to build a mix of properties with between one and four bedrooms, with 63 homes for open market sale and 32 available as affordable housing – including some that are wheelchair accessible.