DEBATE has raged over the felling of trees to make way for a housing development on the former Blackwell Grange golf course in Darlington. 

Chris McEwan, council cabinet member for economy and regeneration, explains the rationale behind the decision.

The Northern Echo: PLANS: Indicative proposals for the improvement and restoration of parkland on the former Blackwell Grange golf course (eastern section). A planning application is expected to be submitted in connection with these proposals in the coming months

SINCE work began to remove trees from the former Blackwell Grange golf course, and the nearby roadside, the conversation has been almost completely dominated by those opposed to what some have called “environmental vandalism”. Although I find that term overly inflammatory and unhelpful, I do understand why the majority of the debate has been critical – on social media, in the pages of this newspaper and, no doubt in some homes and workplaces around the town.

No one celebrates when trees are chopped down. With so many people having had their say recently, I feel the valid reasons for the decision to allow the trees to be cut down are in danger of being lost and the time is now right to set out the thinking in relation to this development.

The land at Blackwell Grange has been earmarked for executive housing for many years and no secret has been made of this. It was back in 2012 that the idea of privately-run Blackwell Grange Golf Club moving from its traditional home, to the nearby council-run Stressholme golf course, was first discussed. That went ahead in 2013 and a development of low-density, high-specification executive housing at the former Blackwell site has been in the pipeline ever since. The vision for Blackwell Grange has always been for high-end executive housing, to meet an established need for this type of property in Darlington. But that has not come at the expense of affordable housing, as some have feared. The developer, Story Homes, has made a significant contribution – of more than £650,000 – towards affordable homes elsewhere in town, as well as financial contributions towards education and sustainable transport, providing additional benefits to Darlington.

The Blackwell masterplan has involved considerable consultation with nearby residents, professional stakeholders, partner agencies and Darlington councillors over a number of years. There has been numerous planning committee, cabinet and all-party scrutiny meetings to debate and resident groups to analyse the proposals at various stages. This masterplan for Blackwell Grange, for the landscaping and parkland, will result in areas of the former Blackwell golf course becoming accessible to the public. The golf course at Blackwell was split into two parts, which straddled Carmel Road South. It is the piece of land to the west of the road that is currently being built on. The land to the east, which includes the existing Blackwell Grange Hotel, will include some areas for development, but it is the majority of this land that will see the significant improvements in terms of public use.

Let’s be realistic – it is simply not possible to convert a former golf course into 59 homes without making considerable changes to the existing landscape – hence the felling of the trees. A number of trees taken out on the old golf course were put in about 20 years ago. The developer has permission to cut down the trees, of which about half a dozen were recorded in the arboricultural report as high quality. Many of the trees on the old golf course that have been cut down will be replaced.

Planning permission was granted in December last year and that decision was not taken lightly. As a member of the planning committee as well as a cabinet member, I know how important this area is to local residents and in Darlington as a whole. It was with this in mind that we agreed only to allow the site to be developed at a much lower density than normal. Since the work got underway, engineers from the council have made visits to the site and repeatedly seen and confirmed that the developer is acting in accordance with the plan.

ONE of the criticisms has been that the tree felling is a blight on one of the most attractive routes into and out of the town, on Carmel Road South. I agree that this tree-lined drive, like so many of our access roads, contributes to the pride of place felt by a great many Darlington residents. The great majority of trees on this drive are unaffected. Some 13,000 vehicles a day use that stretch of road. The removal of a small number of trees alongside the road facilitates significant highway improvements including road widening and pedestrian walkways. Once the work is finished, the drive along Carmel Road South will still be leafy, attractive and full of character.

Obviously, building houses on a former golf course – even with a low-density, high-quality development such as this – represents change for the area. But the developer currently on site has a detailed landscaping plan that it must stick to. And yes, of course, a mixture of new young trees, bushes and hedges will be planted in the area.