Setting out priorities for projects in community

Protecting green spaces, road safety and helping families work from home are among the priorities for the future of a village.

Public consultation is under way on the East Boldon Neighbourhood Plan, which is intended to give families and businesses a greater say over projects in the area.

In its current form, this would include trying to block building on green spaces by shifting attention to brownfield sites the brains behind the document at the East Boldon Neighbourhood Forum claim would be ripe for redevelopment.

The suggestions put forward so far include:

:: Ensuring new properties reflect the village’s ‘diverse range of architectural styles’

:: Making sure new developments have enough parking space and bicycle storage

:: Improve access to green spaces

:: Protect trees

:: Support approval of ‘livework’ units for home working and home-run businesses, where appropriate

While work is ongoing on the East Boldon Neighbourhood Plan, bosses at South Tyneside Council are also working on a Local Plan covering the whole of the borough.

Once approved, this is expected to pave the way for 7,000 new homes across South Tyneside by 2036.

This has prompted some opposition in East Boldon, where up to 950 new homes are proposed.

Some of these however, such as the 245 allocated at Cleadon Lane Industrial Estate as ‘housing on brownfield sites in preference to the loss of Green Belt land’, so long as this does not affect the viability of existing businesses.

Consultation runs until Monday, December 7.