THE Church Commissioners and Durham County Council have submitted a joint planning application to construct 1435 homes on agricultural land, which they co-own, near the town of Newton Aycliffe.
The 97.1-hectare Copelaw development project, if approved, would create a series of “interlinked neighbourhoods” around a central “spine” road, including a primary school and city centre with shops.
“Our plans for the Newton Aycliffe scheme would offer high-quality, sustainable housing that meets the needs and aspirations of residents,” Matt Naylor, the Commissioners’ Team Lead — Strategic Land said. “Importantly, it features extensive social, environmental, and transport infrastructure, including an area primary school, green open space, elderly-care provision, and shops and services to create a thriving, well-connected community.”
A spokesperson for the Commissioners said that 15 per cent of the housing could be “inexpensive” and that 92 could be care homes. Also included could be sustainable drainage systems and “policy-compliant levels of biodiversity net gain”. Homes could be built to the Future Homes Standard.
The spokesperson told the Church Times last week: “The land is currently in agricultural use. As with all planning applications which are aiming to create latest homes, we expect to receive some level of objection. However, we had a really positive public consultation, with many members of the general public attending, in addition to hosting a web based Webinar and a gathering with the Town Council.”
A Strategic Land portfolio report from the Commissioners, last 12 months (News, 14 April 2023), confirmed their plan to construct 30,000 latest homes on 60 sites around England, of which 9000 were to be inexpensive (News, 27 May 2022). Of the 30,000 homes, greater than 9000 were subject to live planning applications, the report said.
On Thursday, a strategic planning meeting was held by Cornwall Council at which one other planning application, submitted by the Commissioners in 2017, was approved. It is for build up to 315 properties on 4 fields, measuring 13.4 hectares, on the outskirts of Falmouth. This could be referred to as Falmouth North.
The plans include 280m² of mixed-use development, a latest vehicular bridge over the railway from Falmouth to Truro, public open space, and associated landscaping and engineering works.
The spokesperson for the Commissioners said that 35 per cent of the homes could be inexpensive, in step with Cornwall council policy. “The application is accompanied by a set of technical reports which conclude the event is appropriate and the officer’s Committee Report recommends the applying for approval, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement. The County Council, who determine the applying, are due to this fact supportive.”
Falmouth Town Council, nevertheless, had really useful that the plans be refused, owing to what it described because the “major impact” on already stretched services, equivalent to healthcare providers, dentists, and schools. These, it says, are “already at capability so the event just isn’t viable for Falmouth’s services. The loss of excellent quality farmland can be unacceptable”.
The Commissioners’ spokesperson said: “The S106 agreement will include financial contributions towards education and health services as requested by the Education Services team and the NHS.”
Penryn Town Council had not objected to the plan. Budock Parish Council had objected to the access proposals.
The Commissioners write of their application: “The land at Falmouth North will offer a novel opportunity to permit sensitive and integrated growth of the town. Creation of the proposed latest neighbourhood will connect latest and existing community and recreation facilities, providing easy accessibility to those along the southern boundary and enabling latest residents to turn out to be a part of a wider, established neighbourhood.
“The proposal will provide latest homes in a green environment, with protected and attractive pedestrian and cycling routes through the location and to local facilities.”
