CONTROVERSIAL plans to build dozens of new homes in a village on the outskirts of Darlington are set to be approved by councillors today.

Karbon Homes has submitted proposals to build 44 new houses on land to the south of Yarm Road in Middleton St George.

The proposals include a mixture of two, three and four bedroom semi detached properties, as well as four bedroom detached houses.

Middleton St George Parish Council have objected to the plans.

Outlining their objections in documents set to be discussed by Darlington Borough Council's planning committee today, the parish council said: "Further development on Yarm Road will exacerbate the existing on-street parking for the terraced houses and the proposed single access would be onto an already busy road.

"More housing in the centre of the village will put more pressure on the existing drainage and sewerage system which was never designed for this amount of development.

"No further development should be granted permission until the build on Sadberge Road has been completed - residents should not have to endure breaches of conditions relating to out of hours working, dangerous conditions on the main road and light pollution.

In justifying their decision to recommend the plans, council planning officers said: "Officers have considered the planning balance, which includes the need for housing in the Borough against the impact of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.

"It is the view of officers that housing need in the Borough is a material consideration of significant weight which is not outweighed, in the planning balance, by the application site being located outside development limits and any associated impacts regarding the loss of an undeveloped parcel of land on the edge of the village.

"The proposal does not result in any adverse impacts on highway safety, surface water drainage or on residential and visual amenity."

Outline planning permission was granted for the erection of a doctor’s surgery, pharmacy and up to 26 homes on this site in July 2016.

The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) subsequently rejected this site and planning permission was granted for a portable building to facilitate the relocation of the surgery from Felix House to Middleton Hall in May 2017.

The application will be discussed at 1.30pm in the town hall.