Councillors have praised the importance of steps being taken to develop rural areas in Hartlepool.

Representatives from the Hartlepool Rural Neighbourhood Plan Working Group gave a presentation to the council planning committee detailing their ‘gateway to the future’ in the town.

The group is made up of representatives from Dalton Piercy, Elwick, Hart and Greatham, with occasional input from Newton Bewley.

It comes after the Hartlepool Rural Plan was adopted in late 2018 following a referendum with a mandate of 80 per cent from voters.

It aims to guide plans for the area to ensure the distinctive character of each village is enhanced, new developments take into account the history and design of areas, and heritage assets are safeguarded.

Brain Walker, chair of the neighbourhood plan group, said developments must be sustainable, and noted the villages must grow to stay alive.

He said: “The idea was to enhance the quality of life for all sections of the community to ensure retention of rural character, history and environmental assets.

“A limited amount of new housing within settlements is supported, to meet the population of the rural areas needs.

“People began to realise the villages need to grow in order to stay alive, it’s just a case of controlled growth.

“It is important the borough council, now we’ve handed over this, our precious baby, to your care, maintains and upgrades road links, support improvements to public transport and other means of transport for non-car users within the rural area.”

Councillors noted managing the growth of villages in Hartlepool will help sustain them for future generations.

Coun Brenda Loynes said: “I come across a lot of people who say we don’t want our villages to be lost, but you’ve got to sustain the village, you’ve got to look inside the village rather than outside.”

Coun Mike Young, deputy council leader, stressed the importance of looking after the whole borough of Hartlepool.

He said: “We are a borough, not a town, and that’s a really key message that we need to take, we are a borough with villages.

“We need to be very, very committed to that terminology as we go forward.”

Coun Marjorie James said attitudes have changed over the years to be more welcoming to new housing developments in villages.

She said: “It will make a huge difference, hopefully anyway, to the lives of people living in the villages.

“This is a huge improvement and accepts there has to be housing that meets the needs of the residents that live there, and that includes young people, and also goes on to include older people.”

It was also noted affordable housing has to be a consideration in any development plans, with Elwick, Hart and Dalton Piercy having very little current provision.