Councillors set for final debate on future Darlington Gypsy sites - County Durham

From the Northern Echo

A FINAL debate about the future provision of sites for Gypsy and Traveller families in Darlington will take place next week, with councillors expected to confirm the extension of existing sites.

Under national planning policy Darlington Borough Council must identify sites for 35 provisional pitches for Gypsies and Travellers, using a mix of council-owned and private land, to be built over the next ten years.

Following consultation into a number of potential sites around the borough that provoked more than 400 responses and 24 petitions from members of the public, councillors agreed that the matter should be dealt with quickly to prevent confusion.

A report prepared for the cabinet recommended that the council expands the existing council-owned Gypsy sites at Honeypot Lane and Neasham Road, which could create up to 20 of the necessary pitches.

Members will also consider allowing the expansion of a site at the privately-owned Oakwood Farm, at Roundhill Road, near Hurworth, which could see three extra pitches.

The remaining capacity is likely be filled by small ‘windfall’ sites, usually holding one or two pitches. Seven such sites have already been granted planning permission around Darlington in recent years.

Potential sites at Salters Lane West, Blackett Road and at the North West Urban Fringe, which sparked most of the protests, have been rejected by planning officers as unsuitable for development.

Among the reasons are concerns about the impact on new housing estates, the loss of open land, the risk of flooding and the loss of amenity space.

The consultation period also led to landowners coming forward to offer sites for development in Heighington, Skipbridge Brickworks, Walworth Road, Snipe Lane, Burma Road and Middleton St George. All six sites have been deemed unsuitable or unnecessary by officers.

The report said: “Gypsies and travellers are a minority population group in the borough, and planning for the provision of new residential pitches will have positive impacts on that group as the plan is delivered.

“Issues raised by some of the settled community regarding the potential impact on their residential amenity arising from the provision of new pitches for Gypsies and Travellers are things that can be mitigated against at planning application stage, and then though effective site management and local policing.”