VILLAGERS are opposing plans for between 35 and 40 houses because they say the development will take up part of the village green, destroy a centuries-old lime tree and could cause traffic accidents.
John Linsley is proposing to build the properties at Kays Hall Farm, in Evenwood, alongside the village green.
Parish councillors heard during their September meeting that a similar application had previously been approved Durham County Council.
Parish clerk Martin Clark said: “Members may recall this was dealt with under three years ago and no work is done, so this is a resubmitted application.”
He added that the council had not opposed the scheme previously but concerns had been submitted about that entrance to the development being on a dangerous curve.
He said the application stated the concerns had been addressed in the new application. But Mr Clark said: “Those details have not been dealt with.”
Chairwoman Cllr Barbara Nicholson noted that the access to the site would be widened to take up part of the village green and a 200-year-old lime tree would have to be removed. She said that the tree can be seen in a village photograph dating back to the early 1900s.
Cllr Nicholson added: “I don’t care what anyone says, that tree must stay. The village green we would get back is on the site – it is part of the estate. They are taking the village green off us and putting it on a private site.”
She added that the parish council might even have to maintain the green on private land. Cllr Rachel Webb felt the entrance to the development remained a risk to traffic.
She said: “It will be a major accident getting in and out of there – it is already bad ,enough as it is now. To come out of there is a death trap.”
She wondered if the council could call on a tree expert to provide evidence that the lime tree should be retained.
Mr Clark said there is no tree protection order on the lime tree. Cllr Anne Lyons said: “There is no real objection to the housing – we need housing but they have to reassess how many and the way in.”
Mr Clark noted that county highways officers did not have any concerns about the access when the planning application was approved four years ago.
Cllr Nicholson said: “I think that is a done deal."
PLANS for what will be a Gaunless Valley village’s largest housing scheme for many years have been submitted to Durham County Council.
Consultants ELG Planning are seeking outline permission for up to 40 properties at Kays Hall Farm site, in Evenwood, on behalf of the landowner, John Linsley.
It is the third application which has been submitted in 18 years for the 1.5 hectare site, which borders the village green.
In 2000 an application to convert the 17th century farmhouse into two dwellings was later withdrawn. Permission was granted to convert the farmhouse and buildings into nine dwellings with only a farm track as access six years ago.
However, no building ever took place. The derelict building, which has been said to attract anti-social behaviour and youths, was eventually demolished after petition was signed by more than 500 people to get the owner to do something.
The latest application is one of the biggest housing schemes in Evenwood since approval for 52 homes in Shirley Close was passed by Teesdale District Council in 2008.
A public consultation for the Kays Hall development, held two years ago, was welcomed by the parish councillors. However, concerns were raised by residents about the proposed access, which would be via Raby Street on a bend in the middle of the main route through Evenwood.
The access road to the housing development would follow the route of an existing unmade farm track that crosses the village green and permission has already been secured by Church Commissioners, who own the land, to enable construction.
The new road would result in the loss of some village green and the removal of a mature lime tree but the applicant’s design access statement says this will be offset by creating a “corridor of greenery” through the centre of the site and tree planting elsewhere.
The application seeks approval for up to 40 houses, though the illustrative design submitted shows 38 properties.
If approved by Durham County Council there would be a mix of two, three and four bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached houses and potential for a number of bungalows.
A copy of the application is available view online at www.durham.gov.org
