Yarm housing enquiry gets underway
Taylor Wimpey’s £133m plans for 600 homes in the market town were roundly rejected by Stockton-on-Tees in March, and will now be assessed by the planning inspectorate after the housebuilder appealed the decision.
Located on land east of Holdenfields Farm on Green Lane, the hotly contested scheme received more than 600 objections from locals, who mainly criticised the lack of supporting infrastructure and the amount of traffic that would be added to the market town.
Stockton’s lack of a five-year housing supply led to the recommendation to approve the scheme, however councillors at the meeting sided with local concerns and voted against the estate with a vote of 13-1.
As well as the housing supply, Taylor Wimpey said it was planning to make one fifth of the estate affordable housing, equating to around 120 homes.
The inquiry is expected to last around a week. Inspector George Underwood has been assigned to the case and will hear statements from Labour-led Stockton Council and developer Taylor Wimpey before a site visit.
ELG Planning, TPM Landscape, and P+HS Architects were key advisors on the proposals, intended for land on the south-eastern edge of Yarm.
At present, the 133-acre site is made up largely of agricultural fields, paddock land and a driving range.
Other ongoing developments in Yarm include a 495-home scheme from Gladman. while Miller is looking to build 376 homes, VB Turnbull up to 255 homes, and Banks recently broke ground on its 109-home Cornfields site.
