BUILDING work to construct 66 terraced and semi-detached homes on the site of a former brickworks has been given the go-ahead.

Reassurances were given to Darlington Borough Council’s planning application committee members over the contaminated land earmarked for redevelopment near Alexander Street and Throstlenest Avenue, off Haughton Road.

Concerns were raised over building on the 2.6 hectare site, which is contaminated with potentially dangerous five metre-high giant knotweeds and has fuel tanks and old clay pits buried beneath the surface.

However, committee members approved the plans submitted by Partner Construction Limited to construct a mix of two and three-bedroomed rentable homes on the land bordered by the B6279 bypass and a concrete batching plant.

Principle planning officer, David Coates, addressed members during the committee’s monthly meeting and said: “There is significant contamination on the site and giant knotweed that have to be uprooted before the site can be built on.

“The Environment Agency will be happy for the application to go ahead should extra conditions be allocated.”

Conditions to add a significant amount of acoustic fencing have also been added to the plans, which were formally objected to by five residents in the Stephenson ward, as well as Durham Bird Club.

Planning applicant, Alastair Willis, said: “We took time with the selection of this site and we also investigated as to exactly what’s down there.

“Knotweed will be cleared by the end of September. It has to be done at a certain time of year and it has to be done before October – we’ve already started spraying the knotweed to remove it.”

Councillor Jan Taylor added that the site is a valued open space to residents, however members were reassured that despite less land being open to walkers after the build, green areas left behind would be safer and of higher quality.

Alexander Street will provide vehicular access to the new estate, which can only be reached via Haughton Road.

In 2007, a national report found the corner of Alexander Street and Haughton Road was one of the country’s noisiest sites for traffic sounds, beaten by London, Birmingham and Liverpool.