40 new homes will obliterate the rural scene in Startforth, says Durham County Council official

A COUNTY landscape officer has objected to a plan for 40 new houses in Startforth because he says it will “obliterate” the rural scene.
As many as 38 objections have been received against the proposal to build the homes on a patch of greenbelt next to the former Startforth Morritt Primary School, including opposition from the village’s parish council and neighbouring Barnard Castle Town Council.
Previous applications to build on the site have been denied.
Durham County Council’s landscape officer, Jon Day, described the site as being in an area of high landscape value that acted as an attractive separation between Startforth and High Startforth.
He said: “The avoidance of the coalescence of Startforth and High Startforth is important in landscape terms.
“Although the distance between the two is not great, their separateness is reinforced by the woodland strip that lies to the north of the site.
“This proposal would cause complete coalescence.”
Mr Day added: “The current views across the site will be destroyed if the site is developed as indicated.
“The proposed tree planting will obscure views, while the current rural foreground to the views will be obliterated by roads and houses.” The landscape officer indicted that the development would be damaging to “this valued landscape and is opposed”.
Similar sentiments were shared by people from across Startforth Park, one of whom said: “The planning proposal includes several references to the attractive views to the north and west.
“However, the price of creating these views involves taking away the very same views from the residents of the current properties to the south, west and east, views which they currently enjoy.”
People who oppose the development say the village has no services, except for a church, and they expressed concern about the development’s impact on traffic in the area.
A health care provider from Barnard Castle Surgery added that access for emergency services would be adversely affected by any additional traffic.
He said: “I am aware that the North East Ambulance Service struggles to meet urgent transport target times in the locality and any increase in traffic flow on the bridge will exacerbate this problem and potentially put lives at risk.”
Startforth Parish Council said it supports residents who have submitted individual objections to the proposal.