A COUNCILLOR has given his backing to a campaign by local residents to prevent housing development on a green field site.

Councillor Tom Nutt, ward member for Haughton North, said he had concerns about the inclusion of land at Muscar Farm, off Barmpton Lane, on the edge of Darlington, as a potential site for future housing in a council development plan.

People living close to the land have said they will fight against the proposals put forward by Darlington Borough Council to build up to 90 homes on the farmland site and Cllr Nutt said he will support that fight.

He said: “I have concerns and I have myself submitted those concerns. The only access and egress to the site will be on a dangerous bend at Barmpton Lane.

“There are concerns about access to buses, schools and doctors surgeries and I support the residents in this.

“Over the past 30 or 40 years we have had to expand Whinfield and we may have to take our share of future expansion but it must be kept to an absolute minimum and challenges made to unsuitable planning applications.”

Consultation on the council’s Making and Growing Places document, which includes the Muscar Farm site, has ended, with the council expected to put forward formal proposals for development sites later this year.