PLANS for more than 1,100 new homes which would more than double the size of Wynyard could be approved this week.

Residents concerned about the vast growth of the village fear it will lead to a “watered down” Wynyard Estate which would “remove the exclusivity and executive nature of the development”.

Wynyard Village, near Sedgefield, was the idea of businessman Sir John Hall and now includes about 800 executive homes.

Stockton and Hartlepool borough council’s planning committees will decide on Tuesday (April 1) whether to allow Wynyard Park Limited to build 600 new houses and Sir John Hall’s Cameron Hall Developments to build up to 500 homes at Wynyard.

Wynyard Park wants to build 400 homes within the Stockton boundary and build a shop, pub or restaurant, playing fields, and changing facilities. The company has also applied for permission to build 200 homes on the Hartlepool Borough Council side of the village.

Cameron Hall Developments hopes to build 500 houses, a primary school including sports facilities, a nursery, retail units, a doctors’ surgery and community facilities, within the Stockton boundary.

Wynyard Residents Association has objected to the schemes, saying: “This application is presented as executive however the scale of the development, the density and size of homes proposed is not in keeping with the existing executive estate and cannot be considered executive and will result in a watered down Wynyard.”

It also raised concerns about the loss of trees and habitat, and the increase in traffic on the A689 and A19.

Some businesses including Huntsman Pigment, which is based at Wynyard Park, said they were worried about traffic congestion and problems getting to and from the business park.

The Church of England is proposing to open a primary school at Wynyard, which would be paid for by the Department for Education.

If planning permission for the Cameron Hall development is successful, the Church of England will apply to the Department of Education in May.

Sir John, former owner of Newcastle United and builder of Gateshead's MetroCentre, bought the Wynyard Hall estate through Cameron Hall Developments, along with 5,000 acres, from the Londonderry family in 1987.

He has transformed Wynyard Hall into a four-star hotel, built a golf course, and in 2011 signed a deal with the governors of independent Red House School in Norton to move to an £18m purpose-built campus on 22 acres.

Other plans for the Wynyard site include a £300m hospital planned for 2017.