New housing plans for Darlington Road site at Northallerton

A planning application for 170 homes on fields off Darlington Road has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council by Keepmoat Homes Ltd and Beckwith Knowle Developments Ltd.

All homes would be classed as affordable, with 119 properties available for social rent and 51 for shared ownership.

The housing would be a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached properties, with homes ranging from one to four bedrooms.

An existing public right-of-way through the site would be maintained.

Supporting documents submitted with the full planning application state: “Keepmoat Homes Ltd and Beckwith Knowle Developments Ltd believe their proposal at Darlington Road, Northallerton will provide high-quality affordable housing for the community that is set within a well-connected, safe and landscape-rich environment.

“The scheme is designed to maintain and utilise existing landscaping features to ensure a pleasant and easily navigable development with identifiable character.

“Existing connectivity is maintained east west across the site with the public right of way being diverted through the scheme.

“Appropriate acoustic measures are also taken to mitigate the effect of noise from surrounding sources.”

In 2024, a hybrid planning application was approved for the demolition of an existing farmhouse and the building of a petrol station, two drive-thru restaurants, offices and various commercial units.

The development was given the go-ahead after councillors heard the scheme would create around 750 jobs.

But the applicants says this development would now not be viable.

A report says: “Since the grant of hybrid planning permission in February 2024 the viability case for the delivery of the hybrid proposals has become more acute.

“Due to the ever increasing infrastructure costs, the extant hybrid consent is not, as a whole, viable.

“Furthermore, the demand for employment use during the three years the Site has been marketed has been limited.”

The latest application does not include an area near Darlington Road which was previously earmarked for retail use under the previous application.

The applicant says this area could be developed in the future.