PLANNERS have once again rejected a housing development – despite previously losing an appeal and in spite of the fact they now face a second legal fight on the issue.

Stockton Borough Council’s planning committee last year rejected the outline plans for 45 new homes on land south of Cayton Drive, Thornaby, in Tees Heritage Park but lost on appeal.

That means the authority must accept the principle that the homes can be built – but the planning committee has nonetheless rejected a secondary but much more detailed plan about the layout and roads.

The developer, Mandale Construction North, had already lodged an appeal on the grounds that the council was taking too long to decide on the finer detail proposal.

Now the councillors, worried about the safety of the single road to the proposed new estate and arguing the new properties will be too close to existing houses, has rejected the detailed plan.

There was also some confusion about whether the Government planning inspector understood the area, close to a nature reserve, was once again designated by the council as being in a protected, ‘green wedge’ area.

The scheme, on a site adjacent to Bassleton Beck Valley, has been met with 161 letters of objection against just one in support.

In the last two years the authority has had to pay out nearly £80,000 in costs after losing 20 planning application appeals.

The majority, £64,528, was from a single High Court appeal by Tiviot Way Investments which wanted to build 550 homes in Ingleby Barwick.

That defeat has been interpreted by the council’s legal team as making it harder to reject planning applications on the grounds that they are in ‘green wedge’ protected land.

However councillors speaking at today’s meeting at Stockton Central Library believe they have stronger grounds to reject the proposal on the grounds of layout. They believe the new homes would be too close to existing homes, casting them in permanent shade.

Referring to the fact that even the detailed planning application had twice been deferred and the saga has been going on for well over a year, Cllr Phil Dennis, Conservative, said: “This feels like Groundhog Day. The point that we need two access roads (to make the development safe) is paramount to this.”

Former councillor Steve Walmsley called for a full public inquiry. The council must now wait to hear from the planning inspectorate about the appeal.