Verdict on 97 homes in Kirklevington pushed back

There was more than an hour of debate about fresh Taylor Wimpey plans to build 97 homes off St Martins Way at a planning meeting on Wednesday. 

Developers already have permission for 90 homes on the stretch after the Planning Inspectorate overruled the council’s refusal in 2018.  

And there have been repeated calls from villagers and councillors for an access route off the A67 to ease worries about construction traffic while they’re built. 

Stockton councillors voted eight to two to defer any decision on the latest 97 home bid.

But not before the committee heard plenty of arguments and safety fears about traffic through the village, a lack of bungalows in the plan, and “pitch darkness” on the A67 to Yarm. 

Mother-of-two Danielle Tyerman had worries about the safety of her children – and called for alternative access to be used for the “terrifying” amount of wagons forecast.

She said: “Their insistence on driving heavy and dangerous construction traffic through our village is purely a financial one and jeopardises the life of every child in the village.”

Nigel de Badgecoe, chairman of Kirklevington Parish Council, believed recent applications were creating “real dangers” for villagers – and feared safety risks would rise. 

He added: “Only recently a child was hit outside the primary school by a commercial vehicle while still walking on the path alongside the main road.”

Proposed entrance to almost 100 new homes off St Martin’s Way

The parish councillor also told the panel the nearby landowner was still “very much open to discussion” about a new access route. “It’s Taylor Wimpey who are not,” said Cllr de Badgecoe. 

Fresh concerns were also raised about decades of darkness on the A67 – and the narrowness of the existing path. 

Cllr de Badgecoe added: “We’re talking pitch black – would you let your children or elderly relatives walk or cycle down a one mile road which is this dark and dangerous alongside 60mph HGV traffic?

“They’re walking past a dubious layby and an open prison. No? Then why should we.”

No fewer than 177 objections were lodged against the plans ahead of the meeting.

Officers told the committee the 90-home appeal had seen inspectors rule the construction access was acceptable – and it couldn’t be used as a reason to either defer or turn down these latest plans. 

Getting the neighbouring landowner and Taylor Wimpey to strike a deal on an alternative route away from St Martins Way was discussed by the committee. 

However, councillors heard the landowner had told the council he was “not willing” to create an access route on his land. 

Stephen Longstaff, agent on behalf of Taylor Wimpey, said the scheme would create 97 high quality homes – and the extra seven homes wouldn’t create any extra technical issues. 

He added the council had asked Taylor Wimpey to talk to the developer about access to address concerns. “Unfortunately, this was not something the adjacent landowner was able to assist with,” said Mr Longstaff.

He also spoke about a management plan to ensure no wagons pass on St Martins Way and Forest Way during school drop off and pick up times.

But doubts were later shared by Cllr Tony Riordan about HGVs clogging up nearby roads. 

Cllr Andrew Sherris, ward member for Yarm, urged the committee once again to see if they sort the access “once and for all”. “We owe it to the residents to see where we can get. I don’t believe we should just roll over and accept the developer or the inspector. I think it’s worth a try.” 

Existing plans already give the developer permission to use St Martins Way for construction traffic.

After the vote to defer a decision, chairwoman Cllr Norma Stephenson said she wanted to talk to the nearby landowner.