A PROPOSAL to develop 24 new homes of varying sizes on a vacant land on the edge of a village goes before councillors next week.

Chester-le-Street-based Cestria Community Housing wants to build 18 mostly two-bedroom houses, plus six one-bedroom flats, with associated access, parking and landscaping on a brownfield site, in nearby Shiney Row.

The 1.35-acre site, which has remained vacant for several years, was once home to the Penshaw Foundry, before falling into disuse after the First World War.

During its hey-day the foundry was served by the Londonderry Railway, which terminated at the foundry.

In more recent decades it was home to Foundry Farm and the proposed development would require demolition of the former farm house and some derelict depot buildings.

Since it became vacant it has suffered the blight of vandalism and fly-tipping.

It is bordered to the north and west by existing residential properties, in Hunter Street and Ross Lea, but by areas of allocated amenity open space to the east and south, and has been identified as a site for new house building in the six to ten-year local strategic plan.

The development, close to the 1974-created Sunderland/Durham county boundary, would be preceded by an archaeological evaluation.

Northumbrian Water has no issues with the proposals, other than requiring a surface water drainage and flood risk assessment.

Sunderland City Council’s Hetton, Houghton and Washington development control sub-committee is recommended to approve the application, subject to conditions, when it meets on Wednesday.