MORE than 100 houses are to be built on the outskirts of a small village after residents pleas to reject the scheme were ignored by councillors.

Concerns had been raised about access to schools and transport links for anyone buying a house on the planned estate in School Aycliffe.

Last month, members of Darlington Borough Council's planning committee spent more than 90 minutes discussing the Miller Homes application before deciding to defer the application to enable the applicant to come back with further details.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant Dominic Smith, of Lichfields Planning Consultants, said the application site was close enough to schools in Newton Aycliffe to make it viable.

"We believe this development will improve the sustainability of School Aycliffe," he said. "The villagers benefit from the closeness of Heighington and Newton Aycliffe."

Jo Travers, who lives in the village, spoke for ten minutes in an attempt to persuade committee members that the estate was not sustainable and would impact on lives of existing residents.

"The development will do nothing to add to the existing community, the development is just going to be 'clagged' onto the side the Chestnuts estate – you will even have to go out of one estate to get into the other," she said.

"There is no safe way for children to walk to Heighington, there is no public transport link between School Aycliffe and Heighington and there is strong opposition to the scheme from within the community."

Committee member, Councillor Ian Galletley had raised concerns about school places at the previous planning meeting when the decision was deferred when he asked for information about the Ofsted rating and availability of spaces in schools near to the proposed site.

Members were told that there was more than sufficient primary school places for the anticipated number of children expected on the estate and the one with most available capacity, Horndale Primary, was rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted.

As part of the negotiation process, the applicant agreed to make a contribution towards funding school transport and improving bus services in the village for a period of three years.

The scheme was approved unanimously.