Land South of Staindrop Road
Phase 1

Welcome

Bellway Homes invites you to share your views on the proposals for the first phase of development, on the Land South of Staindrop Road, for approximately 430 homes.

The proposals follow the decision by Darlington Borough Council, in June 2024, to approve outline planning application (reference: 17/00636/OUTE) for residential development including retail space, social infrastructure, sports facilities and open space.

The approved application forms part of a wider proposed development with the adjoining site to the south (application references: 17/00632/OUTE and 24/00747/RM1), which is being delivered by Taylor Wimpey.

Site Location Plan
Click on the above plan to view a larger version

Drop-in Event
A drop-in event will be held on Monday 20th January 2025 between 3pm and 7pm at:

Cockerton Methodist Church, Cockerton Green, Darlington, DL3 9EG.

Bellway Homes, along with members of the design and project team, will be on hand to discuss the proposals and answer any questions. Alternatively, you can respond to this consultation via the survey on this website.

Responses to the consultation are invited from 10th January until 26th January 2025.

About Bellway

Bellway began as a small family business in 1946 - with a passion for building exceptional quality homes in carefully selected locations, inspired by the needs of real families.

With over 3,000 employees, Bellway was crowned ‘Large housebuilder of the year’ at The Housebuilder Awards 2023. For the past 8 years, Bellway have been awarded 5-star builder status by the Home Builders Federation, reflecting their exceptional quality housing and commitment to their customers. Bellway have a track record of delivering high-quality successful developments across County Durham.

If you would like to find out more about Bellway, please visit their website below:

https://www.bellway.co.uk/about-bellway

The Proposals

The proposals form the first phase of the scheme. The principle of the development has already been established, and it is the purpose of this application to provide the details of the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for the first phase.

The outline planning permission approved an indicative development framework plan (shown below) which shows indicative residential parcels, proposed pedestrian, cycle, and vehicular routes, school, GP surgery, local store and landscaping. The first phase will comprise of the northern portion of the wider site including the access off a new roundabout on Staindrop Road.

The proposed residential development includes a range of 2 to 5 bed homes and includes both private and affordable tenures. The wider site is required to deliver 20% affordable housing however it is proposed that the first phase will deliver a larger portion of this up front in response to the affordable housing need.

This phase will also include public open space and a children’s play area.

Indicative Development Framework Plan
Click on the above plan to view a larger version

Proposed First Phase Layout
Click on the above plan to view a larger version

Technical Matters

The sections below provide a summary of the key technical considerations.

Existing landscaping features are limited to field margins, and there will be an overall increase in landscaping through the provision of new tree planting and the delivery of the proposed landscape strategy in line with the Indicative Development Framework Plan.

Children’s play provision will also be provided and is proposed within the public open space to the east.

A range of pedestrian and cycle links have been proposed including a segregated pathway along the central link road. This will join the provision within the Taylor Wimpey site, meaning a continuous link between Staindrop Road and Coniscliffe Road.

The Public Right of Way is to remain in its current position and new connections will be made to provide a recreational route through green corridors in the development from east to west.

The outline planning application assessed the impact of traffic on the network. The outline permission includes a commitment to delivering off-site highways improvement works to be undertaken, including the creation of a new roundabout at the north of the site which will be included within phase 1.

Bus stops will be provided within the first phase of the development and discussions with the bus operators are in progress.

Baydale Beck runs to the east of the site which provides a wildlife corridor which will remain. Walking routes within this area of the development will remain close to the development line to keep any habitat disturbance to a minimum.

All houses will also include integrated nesting opportunities for wildlife, in the form of wildlife bricks or bat/bird boxes.

The site is located within the River Tees Catchment area for nutrient neutrality. The outline planning application demonstrated that a portion of the development can be brought forward before the need for mitigation is required.

The site is located within Flood Zone 1 on the Environment Agency’s Flood Map for Planning which is considered to be at the lowest risk of flooding.

A Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) has been designed for the proposals to manage surface water drainage at the site to reduce the risk of flooding in accordance with local and national guidance. The SuDS basins are located to the east of the residential development in line with the Indicative Development Framework Plan.