UP TO 350 new homes could be built on a pocket of land that would be bordered by a new bypass linking the A1(M) and the A66 on the outskirts of Darlington.

Hundreds of family homes are in the pre-planning stages for a development to the northern edge of the town in Beaumont Hill area, which is currently agricultural land.

In 2017, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) selected a route for a £300m bypass to connect the A66 from its Great Burdon roundabout with the A1’s Junction 59 at Newton Aycliffe.

The Darlington Northern Link Road was originally proposed as part of a transport package by the TVCA to provide an alternative route for HGVs currently using the A167 and A1150 Whinfield Road to travel between the motorway and Teesport.

A number of public protests and action groups were organised by residents in the Barmpton, Brafferton, Skerningham and Whinfield areas at the time, with concerns also raised over housing proposed to be built alongside the bypass.

Banks Property, part of the County Durham-headquartered Banks Group, has announced this week it will introduce formal proposals for up to 350 family homes in the Beaumont Hill area of Darlington.

The scheme would be located on a 17-hectare site to the south of the River Skerne, between the A167 and the East Coast Mainline. Plans currently include an affordable housing allocation, open space and facilities such as a shop or café.

Banks Property will be hosting an initial community event between 3pm and 7pm on Thursday, July 11, at Whessoe Parish Hall on Harrowgate Hill to introduce its plans, answer their questions and gather their input on the different aspects of the proposal.

Information and ideas shared with the project team will be assessed in the development of the planning application that the company hopes to submit to Darlington Borough Council before the end of the year.

If planning permission is approved, work to build the 350 homes could start on site by 2021 and more than £650,000 worth of council tax would be generated for the authority should the proposal go ahead.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: “Our vision for this project is to deliver high quality residential housing development at a scale which is appropriate to its setting and we want to involve the local community in helping us do this at the earliest possible opportunity.

“As well as helping to address the clear need to increase the available supply of quality homes right across North-East England, this scheme will also deliver a wide range of economic, employment, social, supply chain and environmental benefits to the wider area, and we’re keen to get the widest possible cross-section of local people along to our event to talk about what we’re looking to do.

“The Banks Group has worked across the North East of England on a range of successful projects for more than 43 years, and we’re looking forward to revealing the detail of our ideas for Beaumont Hill.”

  • The event on July 11 is an appointment-only session and spaces are limited. To book a meeting slot, call the Beaumont Hill project team on 0191-3786100 or email beaumonthill@banksgroup.co.uk