DALE residents have expressed their dismay at a developer’s plans to turn fields into a housing estate on the edge of their village.
Draft proposals by landowner James Trotter for 48 houses on a field behind Sudburn Avenue, in Staindrop, were largely welcomed by parish councillors in March.
However, their views were not mirrored by local residents when the proposed plans were on show at a community consultation last week. The development, which proposes to build mainly two and three bedroom properties, would be accessed via Cleatlam Road and includes traffic calming measures with a 20mph speed limit outside Staindrop Academy and introduction of “speed cushions” .
David Brown, 69, who has lived in Sudburn Avenue for 30 years, said: “At the moment I have good views over the fields – this development would block this.”
Heather and Gordon Caygill, who have lived in the village for 24 years, echoed Mr Brown’s sentiments about the loss of open views, but say the extra traffic, which would be generated from a development of this size, is a major concern.
Joanne Howey, who suffers from fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, said she had been worried about traffic that would be generated and said the road outside her home on Cleatlam Road becomes so congested with school buses she has to move her car to allow other vehicles to pass.
“I have four children and I don’t have a drive, so there is nowhere for me to park, other than on the side of the road. I was worried about the extra traffic going to and from the development, but the calming measures they have talked about and the potential of looking at a parking bay would be great. Now I have spoken with them I think it will be good for the village.”
Arthur Bell, 84, who has lived in Sudburn Avenue for the past 50 years, said: “Since the 1950s the size of Staindrop has doubled in size and the one thing no one has thought of is the extra strain on the sewage plant. What happens when Northumbrian Water comes to us and say they need to improve it? They’ll make us pay.”
The retired taxi-driver said he was concerned about additional traffic using Cleatlam Road.
“You’re looking at the best part of 100 cars for this amount of houses and where they are looking to join the lane it’s a blind bend? It’ll be like Russian roulette any time of the day,” he said.
He added villagers had petitioned in the past to have pedestrian crossings installed on Cleatlam Road, but these had been blocked by Mrs Trotter, who was a councillor at the time.
Linda Morgan, 56, whose home backs directly onto the proposed development, said: “All I’m going to see is a large gable end wall instead of open fields.”
Her neighbour, Fiona Ackroyd, 35, said: “They’re going to block our view. I think it’s disgusting.”
Retired builder Wayne Fright, 52, and his wife Claire, 51, said they are “devastated” at the news of the new housing estate.
“We only moved here six weeks ago from Kent. We wanted to get away from housing estates and built up areas. We bought this house because of the views and the relatively small amount of traffic here. There was nothing in the searches saying this could be happening,” he said.
Ian Lyle, director of ELG planning, who prepared the consultation, said they will take on board residents worries and hope to work with them address issues of concern before the plans are submitted to Durham County Council.
