Gleeson set for 83-home green light
Durham County Council is tipped to approve plans for the 7.5-acre plot in Coxhoe, which include the demolition of existing farm buildings.
The project team includes RWO as consultant engineer, and Acer Architectural.
Gleeson Regeneration first submitted plans for the site in 2020, originally with a proposal for 98 homes.
The current application is for eight two-bed bungalows, 13 two-bed, 52 three-bed, and 10 four-bed houses.
In terms of affordable housing, the developer has suggested offering five discount homes, three first homes and four affordable rent houses.
The site comprises empty fields and agricultural buildings, and is surrounded to the north, east, and south east by other residential buildings, and to the south west by Coxhoe Park.
Due to the site being less than 10 acres in size, it will be considered by the Central and East planning committee, rather than at county level, on 12 November.
The plans have been recommended for approval, subject to Section 106 agreements such as contributions towards secondary school capacity, off-site open space, GP surgery capacity, and securing a biodiversity management and monitoring plan, which has previously not been sought as plans were originally submitted in 2020.
The development has received a number of objections, primarily focused around the pressure it would place on the village primary school and Gleeson’s ‘unwillingness’ to make an S106 primary education contribution.
The Coal Authority has also raised the point that there is a potential legacy risk, however it notes that this could be fixed with remedial measures to check the safety of the site.
Gleeson itself has stated that: “The site provides a sustainable development opportunity and would contribute to the provision of a mix of housing size, types and affordability in Coxhoe, particularly promoting family housing and appropriate dwellings which allow people to stay in their local community.
“Gleeson has an ethos of providing high quality, low cost homes, predominantly targeting first time buyers and those looking to advance onto the property ladder. Therefore, we are conscious of affordability for a couple who are on the national living wage when setting all open market values, ensuring that a couple can afford to purchase a property on all of our developments.”
