THERE is a rising conflict between national planning policy, and local government interpretation, as more and more greenfield sites are sacrificed for housing developments.

Darlington is a good example of that conflict, with the council approving another 1,000 homes across the town, including Middleton St George, Hurworth, Harrowgate Hill, and Coatham Mundeville, in the midst of the controversy over trees being felled at Blackwell.

We appreciate the no-win situation the council finds itself in. Central Government cards are stacked in favour of developers, with councils knowing they will probably lose on appeal and rack up costs. But, having said that, politicians dismiss the strength of feeling over this huge national issue at their peril.

The tone coming out of Darlington Borough Council feels dismissive at best and arrogant at worst. Local people feel they are being talked down to, and that fuels dissent. “We’ve consulted, it’s got planning approval, so stop whingeing,” is the message being heard.

That’s simply not good enough because consultation is seen as meaningless.

We accept that there are no easy answers. A housing need has to be addressed and, to a large extent, local hands are tied, but grassroots democracy is being undermined.

There needs to be better community engagement, more listening, greater visibility of our political leaders, less condescension, and an appreciation that this is not just a wave of Nimbyism, but a genuine concern about what’s happening to the local environment. There is, after all, a local election on the horizon.