‘Betrayal’ claim over homes plan
A BELOVED field described as the “last open space in West Denton” will be lost to a new housing development after contentious building plans were backed by councillors.
Newcastle City Council granted permission for 45 homes to be built on the popular land next in Hillhead Road, in the outer west of the city, at what descended into an ill-tempered hearing on Friday morning.
The authority’s planning committee voted by a margin of seven to one in support of the proposals from developers Tolent and Karbon Homes, despite an outcry from locals.
Builders now look set to push ahead with the development, which also includes a children’s care home and two new sports pitches added into the design following residents’ concerns.
Former city councillor Brian Moore pleaded with the committee to protect the field, calling it “the last open space in West Denton,” and asked why 45 new homes were needed when Newcastle has more than 4,000 empty properties.
He also claimed the fact the council had already built a road junction to access the future development was evidence a decision had “already been made” long before this week’s verdict.
Mr Moore, who spoke on behalf of the Save the Field campaign and Save Newcastle Wildlife, was then forcibly removed from the civic centre meeting having refused to yield once his allotted five minutes of speaking time were up.
Coun David Cook, who chaired the meeting, claimed the building of the access road “undermines the openness and transparency” of the council’s planning process - with local authority officers then telling councillors those works had not required planning permission and were “not relevant.”
Denton and Westerhope councillor Tracey Mitchell of the Newcastle Independents Party also spoke against the scheme, complaining her area had been “betrayed” by the council and children “want somewhere to play, they deserve somewhere to play.”
She also raised worries about the possible presence of carcinogens in the land after a report found it held “potentially unacceptable risks” to health.
Tolent’s Harry Bell said the new estate would be an “asset to the area and of benefit to the wider community.”
He told the committee affordable housing would help working families in the outer west struggling to run a household at private market rents and the children’s home would give a “caring, supportive and welcoming home” for up to four young people.