A PLAN which outlines how many houses will be built in and around Darlington over the coming decades should do more to address village infrastructure and sustainability, a parish council has warned.

Middleton St George Parish Council has urged Darlington Borough Council to include assurances to make their village a “sustainable and cohesive community” which will enhance the “quality of life and the local environment for residents” in its Local Plan.

Their plea comes following the approval of plans to build hundreds of homes in the village in recent years, which has seen councillors warn it has reached “saturation point”.

The council’s masterplan for the town includes dozens of policies, such as transport and protecting historic interests, as well as sites it considers would be best for housing developments.

In a letter to the council, Alan Macnab, Middleton St George Parish Council clerk, said: “Darlington Borough Council’s estimated housing target is 492 per year.

“Middleton St George has already supplied almost two years’ worth of the housing supply for the whole of Darlington since, and including, the Sadberge Road development.

“If all of the housing developments coming through the planning process are granted permission, the village will have supplied well over three years’ supply for the whole of Darlington.

“We would urge the borough council to work with the Tees Valley Authority, as a priority, to ensure that we obtain a more viable bus service for the village according to our needs as stated, so that this ensures that the village meets sustainable transport requirements in view of the overwhelming increase in housing that has been approved for the village.”

The consultation period for the draft Darlington Local Plan ended earlier this month and a spokesperson for the council said they received more than a thousand comments.

Any proposed changes to the plan will go out for further consultation later this year.

Speaking last month, David Hand, the council’s head of planning policy and economic strategy, said: “We’re delighted with the level of engagement so far, people are really taking the opportunity to chat to the team and ask questions.

“The comments we’ve had so far have been constructive and people are engaging with us about the content of the plan – they might not always agree about every aspect but they’re having their say and that’s what is important.”

The final plan will be published next year.