Access road gets approval. Critics say it’s early, with traffic and green space concerns.
The council has planned this since 2014. The 71-hectare site is near Newham Hall, off the B1365 Stokesley Road. They are drafting a masterplan now, and public input will be sought in the next few months.
On February 13th, they approved the access road on the B1365. Residents worry about traffic and lack of input.
CPRE thinks the road approval is “premature,” but the council needs the road built sooner because funding has a time limit. CPRE disputes that early funding is a sufficient reason. The site is near Newham Hall Farm, with access from the B1365 and Bonnygrove Way. Last February, they agreed to sell the farmland.
The council is acting as the main developer and will handle the site’s phased sale and marketing. They think this ensures “best value” without outside help, and that Newham Hall helps with housing, growth, and council services.
The masterplan is being finalized now. The amount of housing worries some people, who think brownfield sites should be used instead.
Residents raised sixteen objections to the road, noting concerns including more traffic, less green space, and lack of information. They said that public consultation was nonexistent.
The council’s conservation officer is concerned that the road harms green space, and Newham Hall’s setting. Housing could outweigh that harm; a road alone, however, arguably cannot.
The report said there were no technical issues involving roads, floods, and nature, and that heritage impact was considered “minimal.” The report concluded that the benefits outweigh any harm, so public benefit outweighed harm, in their opinion.