IT is currently ‘open season’ for developers in Middleton St George, according to the village’s parish council.

Members of the parish council say they are concerned that an influx of planning proposals could see the village they love “become a thing of the past”.

In recent years, Darlington Borough Council granted planning permission for 476 dwellings in and around the village, with applications for a further 632 pending.

The parish council believe the increase in housing, if approved, would increase the population of the village by around 50 per cent. and impact upon existing local amenities.

Members have now urged DBC to work with them on creating a ‘masterplan’ for the village to ensure it remains a pleasant place to live.

A parish council spokesman said: “Of late it seems open season for developers to target the village for major housing development.

“We have never said that we are against development, only that it should be proportional to the existing area and is supported by appropriate improvements to the infrastructure.

“Clearly development of this magnitude will change the village forever.”

The parish council has organised a planning consultation meeting for residents, taking place on Saturday, October 22 from 10am in Middleton St George’s community centre.

The spokesman said: “Should we fail to halt or reduce the developments on sustainability grounds, we will work to determine what additional support would be required to maintain a degree of sanity and keep the village working.

“We are severely concerned that the village we love will be a thing of the past, swamped for developers’ profit to achieve estimated targets on greenfield sites and changed forever - we keep hoping that reason and sense will prevail but are not naïve enough to rely on it.”

Cllr Chris McEwan said a national housing crisis presented a challenge for the council and admitted the Planning Inspectorate’s acknowledgement of MSG as a sustainable settlement had “no doubt focused interest of developers on all of the villages within the Borough”.

He urged the parish council and residents to engage with the authority’s Neighbourhood Plan process to help plan for the future.