RESIDENTS have expressed concerns over a planning proposal for a 150-home development.

Members of the Whinfield Residents Association (WRA) in Darlington and locals in the area have submitted more than 70 formal objections to the application made by housing developer Bellway.

If approved, the proposal would see land developed on Elm Tree Farm, north of Sparrow Hall Drive.

The plans allow for the creation of 54 three-bedroomed homes and 66 with four or more bedrooms, with 30 of the properties to be marketed as affordable housing.

In the summer, Bellway hosted a public consultation event after notifying some residents in the vicinity of the plans, and planning documents were submitted to Darlington Borough Council for consideration.

Residents expressed concern that the addition of extra houses as a result of a new development would put added pressure on the infrastructure of the area and increase the daily traffic flow.

Another concern is for a patch of grassed open public space on Sparrow Hall Drive which would be developed under the application.

The WRA applied to Darlington Borough Council for the grassed area to be designated as a Green Space but were refused on the grounds that the space was covered by the Skerningham Strategic Allocation in the council’s five-year Draft Local Plan.

Alan Hutchinson, secretary of the WR A, said: “The Darlington Draft Local Plan clearly shows that the possible Elm Tree Farm development site is part of what the Plan calls the Skerningham Strategic Allocation.

“If the council permits this development to go ahead, residents will have lost a Local Green Space.”

Frances Nicholson, planning manager at Bellway, said: “The application we have made is within the details of the council’s five-year Local Plan, which allocates 150 units to Elm Tree Farm.

“Bellway consider that our application for 150 units makes an important contribution to the Council’s five-year housing land supply as set out in proposed Local Plan policy.

“Our development proposals have been assessed by experienced consultants as set out in the planning application.

“Specifically, with regard to transport impacts, the Transport Assessment said: ‘it is considered that the proposed development will not result in a severe impact on the operation of the transport network. Consequently, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework, there are no highway grounds why the development proposals should not be granted planning consent’.”