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Search the Public Notice PortalPlans to build 600 new homes in Yarm have been branded “utterly barmy” - with the town’s MP saying the area is already being “milked to death”.
Developer Taylor Wimpey revealed this week that it was preparing a planning application for a string of two to five bedroom homes on land south of Green Lane.
The mammoth development would cover several fields, stretching along Green Lane from the HMP Kirklevington Grange turn off to the Leven Bank roundabout.
And despite no plans being submitted to Stockton Council just yet, the project has already faced backlash, with a petition even being launched to stop more houses being built in the town.
Now, Stockton West MP Matt Vickers has branded the plans as “utterly barmy” - and said they "shouldn't even be validated on receipt” by Stockton Council.
Taylor Wimpey said the plans were brought forward in response to the national housing crisis and the council identifying a shortfall of housing land in the area - and said all feedback would be "carefully considered".
As reported, the new development would span several fields and is significantly larger than the 200 homes planned for a section of the land by Taylor Wimpey in 2017.
This previous application was withdrawn following a series of objections from nearby residents, who raised concerns over its impact on traffic and infrastructure.
Mr Vickers said: “The idea of building yet more housing in Yarm is utterly barmy.
“Our Labour council treats Yarm as a cash cow and is already milking it to death, waving through applications whilst failing to adequately stand up to developers on others.
“In recent years the Labour council has allowed the packing, stacking and racking of thousands of homes on green field sites and created unbearable pressure on our local infrastructure, from roads to schools to healthcare services.
“We must ensure Yarm’s unique character is preserved.
“This proposal for 600 more homes is outside of the local plan and shouldn’t even be validated by the council on receipt.
“The council needs to ensure its local plan is robust and prepare to fight these developers tooth and nail.
"Yes, we need more homes across the country, but they must be built in the right places with the right infrastructure”.
In response, a spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: “Our proposed development on Green Lane in Yarm has been brought forward in response to the national housing crisis and Stockton Council identifying a shortfall of housing land in the local area.
“Throughout the consultation period, we will be welcoming feedback from the local community via the in-person and online consultation forms.
"All feedback from members of the community will be carefully considered and used to help inform the outline planning application.”
'Breaking point'
A petition was recently launched to stop further housing developments in Yarm, claiming that new estates have “strained its resources to breaking point”.
More than 800 people have signed the petition so far, which is “calling for a halt to the construction of any more housing estates in our town”.
Several new estates have shot up in and around Yarm in recent years, including several on Green Lane beyond Yarm Train Station and in Kirklevington.
Construction is also underway on a new estate off the A67 between Yarm and Kirklevington, with houses being built by Banks Homes and Duchy Homes.
The new Taylor Wimpey development will cover several fields, including the land currently occupied by the Hutchinson Hobbs Farm Shop and Butchers and Yarm Driving Range.
Barry Hutchinson, who runs the family-run shop with wife Jenny and his parents, told The Northern Echo this week that it has always known at some stage that an application would be filed to build new housing but has been assured the shop will stay.
It is not known how Yarm Driving Range could be impacted at this time.
A public exhibition event is set to take place at the Yarm Sports and Social Club, on Leven Road, on June 5 to get feedback from nearby residents.
The consultation period will end at midnight on Thursday, June 19, and this will be used to “shape” the planning application, due to be lodged later this summer.
Ben Stephenson, strategic land and planning manager at Taylor Wimpey North Yorkshire, said: “Collating the views of local residents is an essential part of our development process, and we’re keen to gather as much feedback as we can from residents about our plans for a new community in Yarm.
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“We understand that not everyone will be able to attend the public exhibition event in person.
"To ensure that all members of the community have access to the information, we will be uploading a digital version of the exhibition boards to our consultation website.
“This will allow everyone to view and comment on the proposals at their convenience. We look forward to sharing our plans with you in due course.”
The council was unable to comment at this time, as no official planning application has been submitted.
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