Plans approved for Penshaw new housing despite objections
Councillors have once again approved plans for a large housing estate in the shadow of Sunderland’s Penshaw Monument, following further objections from residents.
Proposals were given the go-ahead in October for Taylor Wimpey North East to provide the development on a parcel of land south west of Herrington Country Park, subject to the completion of council consultation.
The application involved full planning permission for the first phase of 116 homes, along with outline planning permission for 324 homes, with all matters such as design and scale reserved until a later date.
However, due to further objections during the consultation, the proposals had to return before the city council’s PlanningandHighways(West) Committee on Tuesday evening – where councillors once again approved the proposals, agreeing with the recommendation of planning officers.
Four representations were submitted since the last meeting. New concerns raised included worries over the amountofpollutiongenerated by the new development.
However, officers said the application included an appraisal setting out commitments to utilising sustainable constructiontechniques,with design features to ensure energy performance standards are exceeded.
Cllr Heather Fagan, speaking
at the meeting, raised concerns generally over applications being approved ahead of consultation periods concluding, however.
CommitteechairCllrMelanie
Thornton agreed, adding they need to “learn a lesson from this one”.
Planning officers responded stating they include the mechanism to bring an applicationbackbeforecouncillors, ashappenedinthiscase,andit ensures proposals are considered “as soon as possible”
At the time of the previous meeting,councilplannershad received more than 270 objections to the proposals.
The site, bordered by the A183 Chester Road and Chislehurst Road, was previously allocated for housing in Sunderland City Council’s adopted Core Strategy and Development Plan (CSDP), or ‘local plan.’
Despiteoppositiontohousing development, the site was ‘deleted’ from the green belt following an ‘examination in public’ where the CSDP was assessed by a government-appointed planning inspector.