A DEVELOPMENT company has pledged that housing plans for a greenfield site at the edge of a village will be limited to 90 homes.

Banks Group, which is preparing a controversial planning application for farmland adjacent to Roundhill Road in Hurworth-on-Tees, near Darlington, made the commitment at an update meeting with parish council representatives.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager, told the meeting: “We would be willing to make a public commitment in the press that the development would not be extended beyond that initial application.”

However, Carol Paylor, chairman of the Hurworth Against Detrimental Development group (HADD), who attended the meeting, said: “They are here to get the community behind the development but there is a distinct difference between an outline planning application and a full planning application.

“Whatever Banks say, there are no guarantees that this would not lead to more housing from developers submitting separate applications in the future.

“I remain extremely concerned about the impact this proposal would have on the balance and equilibrium of village life if it was allowed to go ahead and we will continue to press the case for transparency and an understanding from Banks about the strength of feeling in the village.”

Ward councillor for Darlington Borough Council, Lorraine Tostevin, said she was “extremely disappointed” that Banks had failed to fulfil its promise to provide a site layout plan in time for the meeting.

“I think it’s a very poor show,” she said.

Mr Stokes said he shared her frustration but said the site layout would be ready in time for the beginning of a public exhibition of the plans in the village hall between 3pm and 7pm on May 5.

Members of the Banks project team will be on hand to answer questions at that exhibition.

In a prepared company statement coinciding with the meeting, Mr Stokes said: "The geological and ecological data we've been gathering from this site has given us the confirmation we required that this is technically suitable site for the sort of development we're proposing, and we've moved quickly to put on this exhibition so that local people can find out directly about our initial proposals for the site as early as possible.

"The exhibition is the next stage of a comprehensive range of local consultation events and meetings that will ensure everyone has the opportunity to comment on our plans at an early stage in the development process, and can get accurate information on the various economic, employment, environmental, social and supply chain benefits they could bring to the area.

"We're very much open to hearing more suggestions from visitors to the exhibition on what benefits they would like to see, and hope as many local people as possible will come along to find out more about our ideas for themselves.

“There is a clear and increasingly pressing need across North East England to increase the available supply of quality homes. We firmly believe that young families in the region should have the chance to live in the places where they grow up or where they wish to be, and think Roundhill Road site is a wholly appropriate location for the type of development we're proposing."

A planning application for the Roundhill Road, Hurworth development is expected to be submitted to Darlington Borough Council over the summer.

The meeting was told that access would be off Roundhill Road.

Village representatives expressed concern about the existing dangers on Roundhill Road, the increased risk of flooding, the loss of greenfield land, and the impact on local amenities, including schools and the doctor’s surgery.