Proposal for 162 houses ‘would swamp Barnard Castle’

TOWN councillors in Barnard Castle have strongly objected to the proposed construction of 162 houses in neighbouring Startforth.
They say such a massive scheme will swamp the town’s already stretched amenities and infrastructure and is based on out-of-date information. A mix of two, three and four bed properties is earmarked for 10.5ha of land formerly owned by the Ministry of Justice next to Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institution.
Town mayor Cllr John Blissett said all areas of Barnard Castle’s infrastructure would be affected by the scheme because Startforth had no amenities left.
“They were hell bent on closing the school. There is no shop, no pub. They have shut Startforth down. The only thing left is the church and how long that will be there we don’t know,” he said.
Cllr Blissett also hit out at developer Kier Living, which in its planning application extolled the benefits the development would have on Startforth Morritt Primary School, which was closed by Durham County Council at the end of last year.
“They [Kier] could have supported us on the school, but they did not.”
He added: “It will be one hell of an impact on the rest of the community – 162 houses with no increase in infrastructure, shops and health centre to support it.”
Cllr Tony Cooke said that with no school in Startforth, he was concerned about the safety of children walking across the County Bridge to classes in Barnard Castle.
“That footpath is very narrow and people have been very close to the side of the larger sized wagons,” he said.
“I am fearful for children who decide to walk.”
Cllr Judi Sutherland said it was all very well saying Startforth was in walking distance, but many people would choose to drive across to do their shopping.
“Anyone wanting to buy even a pint of milk has to go over the bridge,” she said.
Cllr Belinda Thompson said she was equally concerned about the effect such a large scheme would have on the GP surgery in Barnard Castle.
Cllr David Kinch said new developments were supposed be sustainable, but without amenities such as a shop, post office, health centre or community centre, this was simply not the case with the Startforth proposal.
The town council agreed to register its strong objections to the scheme, saying it was contrary to a number of planning policies in the 2002 Teesdale Local Plan which, in the absence of a new County Durham Plan, still held sway.
They said the development was out of character and inappropriate to the setting of the area. Councillors also agreed it would cause significant harm to the “character, quality and distinctiveness of the landscape,” particularly the views from the castle and Scar Top. They said the lack of amenities and local services was contrary to planning policy and stated that the proposal was outdated and inaccurate, particularly with respect to primary school capacity. The impact on traffic and parking around Barnard Castle was also raised.