A PARISH council has formally objected to provision for almost 400 homes in a local development plan.

Consultation on Darlington Borough Council's draft Making and Growing Places (MGP) document, which sets out areas for development up to 2026, ended earlier

Whessoe Parish Council has written to the town hall objecting to plans for up to 380 homes at Burtree Lane, to the north of the White Horse pub in North Road.

Among the parish council's grounds for objection are the potential impact on schools.

The parish council says, with nearby Longfield Academy at full capacity, the borough council has not addressed the need for additional secondary school places resulting from the proposals.

Just 130 houses were originally included in MGP for this site, a figure which has been almost tripled.

The parish council believes such a large number of houses being built would increase traffic problems in the area.

Burtree Lane is the latest in a string of proposed developments to be met with local opposition.

A parish council spokesman said: "The A167, Whessoe Road and Burtree Lane are already heavily congested with traffic at peak times.

"The parish council asked for information on the projected increase in the number of vehicle movements which the two developments will be generated.

"This information has not been given."

Such information would not be known until any developers come forward in the future.

Anyone wanting to develop the land would need to produce a transport statement to identify the projected level of increase in traffic.

The borough council has stressed that nothing is set in stone, with MGP not due to be formally adopted until next year.

Across the borough, more than 750 consultation responses have been received.