MORE than 400 written objections have been received by a council ahead of a decision on plans for 65 new homes.

The deadline has now passed for submissions to Redcar and Cleveland Council regarding the planning application for land next to the Hutton Meadows estate in Guisborough by Newett Homes.

The proposals would see an estate of 65 houses built on a narrow corridor of green land, alongside the Hutton Beck, which is much loved and used by the people of Guisborough and is effectively the last large area of unspoilt open land in the town. Many other areas in and around Guisborough have been granted planning permission but building has not started yet through lack of demand.

A spokesman for campaign group Gambol (Guisborough against more building on open land) said: “This land has never been built on and is at the centre of our community. As a result, it is unusually rich in plant-life and wildlife. It is as biodiverse as you can get and promoting biodiversity is a stated aim of our council, so we cannot believe that they will allow building on it. Everyone here wants to see Guisborough remain as a market town and not become just another continuous housing estate. The council has been promising since the 60s, including at the last rejection by a planning inspector some 20 years ago, to keep this land as public open space. Now is the time to honour their promise.”

One major objection deals with surface water drainage, described as a “closed system” ultimately discharging into Hutton Beck from attenuation tanks.

The area is prone to flooding and concern has been expressed about the effect upon a natural watercourse, from the construction phase, the discharge of detergents and microplastics from car washing/valeting, and particulate matter from vehicle exhausts and tyres into the natural watercourse, which will not be caught by the interceptors.

An overview of the planned building area in Guisborough

An overview of the planned building area in Guisborough

A specialist report on the area says that the flood risk assessment is flawed and the scheme cannot be developed without increasing the flood risk. The mains sewer that runs through the site already periodically overflows directly into the Hutton Beck, depositing untreated sewage on 32 occasions in 2020.

Other concerns include the two primary schools in the area that are currently over capacity with the recent addition of 500 homes on Galley Hill and Pine Walk. Objectors say that the transport assessment by the council is flawed as it has been demonstrated that the development cannot be safely accessed, particularly passing the schools.

A date for the council’s Regulatory Committee to hear the application is yet to be confirmed.