87 new homes approved for Brotton housing development

Developer Gleeson Regeneration Limited submitted the plans for farmland south of Alford Road and west of Kilton Lane to Redcar and Cleveland Council last year.

Members of the council’s regulatory committee followed a recommendation from a council officer who deemed the development acceptable in planning terms, also declaring: “The proposal is considered to provide a suitably designed, scaled and orientated development which would not pose any significant effect upon the character of the wider area”.

It will consist of 14 two bedroom semi detached, 50 three bedroom semi detached and 23 four bedroom detached properties.

A typical Gleeson Homes street scene. Picture/credit: Acer Architectural Ltd/Gleeson Homes. Free for use for all LDRS partners.

A new access route will be provided from Kilton Lane for vehicles with a pedestrian access proposed linking to Landsdowne Road to the north west of the site. 

Fifteen objection letters were received by the council from members of the public.

Meanwhile, Skelton and Brotton Parish Council raised a number of issues stating there was a lack of local facilities, the visual impact on the surrounding area and a loss of green space, among several grounds for objection.

The council’s development engineers, in their assessment, said a number of amenities were a ten minute walk away, while the nearest bus stop, on Alford Road, was a quarter of a mile away.

In relation to a transport assessment and travel plan prepared on behalf of the developer they concluded: “It has been demonstrated that the site does offer legitimate means of sustainable transport connectivity in accordance with local and national transport planning policy.”

Brotton ward councillor Graham Cutler described a potential knock-on effect on the A174 Kilton Lane roundabout suggesting improvement measures were needed due to an increase in traffic using the busy route, although this was deemed outside the scope of the development.

The predicted travel demand in terms of vehicles was 46 arrivals and departures in the morning peak each day and 45 in the evening peak, and said not to pose an adverse impact on road networks.

The development engineers advised that a T-junction providing access onto Kilton Lane would be sufficient to cater for the proposal with suitable visibility splays, and had no significant highway safety concerns.

Financial contributions have been agreed in relation to school provision, the local NHS, and leisure in order to address the demand generated by the proposal, a report said, amounting to more than £300,000.

Nine of the homes planned will also be in the ‘affordable’ category.

A design and access statement accompanying the application promised an “attractive and high quality environment” for householders occupying the new properties.

Much of the debate at the decision meeting centred on the pedestrian access planned to Landsdowne Road with concerns that it could be used as a “cut through” for bikers carrying out criminal activities.

A resident claimed it could “totally ruin” the peace and security of those living in existing properties.

Brotton councillor Barry Hunt said: “It will be used by bikes and for anti-social behaviour, delivering drugs.

“People will be terrorised.”

Chris Dodds, representing the applicant, said he understood the feeling expressed, but the pedestrian route would support access into the local centre in Brotton.

He said it would “narrow in as you get further up” with a barrier to restrict bikes and motorbikes.

Nonetheless, one committee member asked if the planned footpath could be removed entirely from the plans, but the council’s development services manager Claire Griffiths said it encouraged and maintained connectivity.

The council was also described as owning a section of land to the north, falling outside of the development boundary, which it could choose to remove access to in order to control any problem with anti-social behaviour.

The site of the proposed housing, along with further adjoining parcels of land, was previously allocated for residential development in the council’s Local Plan, being considered suitable for up to 270 homes that should be “well integrated with the existing built up area” and completed by 2032.