Concerns raised over housing plans at former South Shields school as development blueprint faces scrutiny
Concerns have been raised around potential housing plans at the former Chuter Ede Education Centre site outlined in a blueprint for future development in the borough.
The worries were voiced during the second stage of public hearings held as part of an independent examination of South Tyneside Council’s proposed local plan.
The document aims to provide a framework for where new homes, businesses, shops and leisure amenities will be built in the borough up until 2040.
It also aims to ensure the right infrastructure, such as roads, health facilities and schools, is in place to support growth.
Despite the local plan twice being rejected by councillors, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning issued an intervention notice directing the council to submit the plan for independent examination in public.
The sessions are to help the inspector determine if the plan is ‘sound’.
The second stage of hearings began on Monday, January 13, with one of the sessions discussing plans for land at the former Chuter Ede Education Centre site.
The area is earmarked for approximately 70 residential dwellings, along with community provision and some form of open space or replacement open space.
The local plan also outlines how the site would be home to around 120 extra-care residential units and proposals were approved by the council’s planning committee in August 2025 for 124 apartments for such use.
Councillor Rachael Taylor, Green Group leader on South Tyneside Council who represents the Biddick and All Saints ward where the site is located, raised concerns over any further development on the land.
Her worries chiefly revolved around the loss of green space which the proposed 70 homes would be built on.
Speaking at the hearings, she said: “This is the only green space in the whole of a very, very deprived ward, Biddick Hall is the most deprived area in the whole of South Tyneside, and this is the only green space and sports pitches and open fields.
“Removing the only green space from a deprived community exacerbates inequality rather than reducing it.
“Access to green spaces is fundamental to mental and physical health.”
Council officers outlined how the land is owned by the local authority and approximately three hectares of the site remains following the granting of planning permission for the 124 extra-care apartments, which work has started on.
Council bosses acknowledged the grassed area to the western part of the site has had “some kind of open space sports pitch functionality in the past that will need to be replaced or mitigated”.
They noted this would occur through improvements and enhancements to two 11-a-side pitches on land to the south of the Chuter Ede site along with the provision of pitches on land at the former Temple Park Juniors School – another council owned asset.
Approximately 1.2 hectares of new playing fields will be brought into use at the ex-school site, alongside enhancements to existing playing fields that are directly adjacent to that land in the south west corner of the wider Temple Park area
Deborah Lamb, council operations manager for the spatial planning team, said: “There would again be a qualitative improvement in terms of the playing provision subsequently on the back of this development.”
However Cllr Taylor voiced her concerns that the Chuter Ede site “isn’t suitable to be in the local plan” in her opinion.
Speaking at the hearing, she added: “The people of Biddick Hall have got so little, and now their only green space is going to be taken away from them as well.
“To be here and have to be fighting to save all of Chuter Ede, it’s really sad to be quite honest with you
“It should be preserved for the local community, if you put anything back there it should be a standalone community facility, not extra houses, that’s what the community needs. We don’t need to be shoehorning all these houses in.”
Charles Higgins, council property services manager, noted at present the western area of the Chuter Ede site is being used “as a compound for the extra-care site, which is expected to take approximately two years to complete”.
He added: “Once that compound has been released then we’ll bring the rest of the land forward.”
The second stage of local plan hearings continue to take place and are currently due to conclude on Wednesday, January 21.
For more information on the hearings and links to live streams residents can visit https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/24174/Local-Plan-examination.