Delay over Hebburn housing plans after concerns over traffic

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee discussed the proposals from Barratt Homes North East for land east of Lukes Lane at its meeting on Monday, October 24.

The plans included the delivery of new homes along with a new vehicular access point from Lukes Lane, associated infrastructure and landscaping.

The application site is currently undeveloped agricultural land covering around 8.5 hectares, with housing development proposed to the western part and sustainable drainage and a wildlife habitat to the east.

South Tyneside Council’s planning department had deemed the scheme acceptable and recommended it for approval at the meeting.

However councillors raised numerous concerns centring on traffic and congestion issues impacting areas such as Mill Lane and Whitemare Pool roundabout.

They argued existing issues would be exacerbated by the increase in vehicles from the new homes.

Councillor Paul Dean, Monkton representative, said: “This is going to cause an absolute nightmare, I just can’t see how the traffic coming from this additional development is going to help.

“I just can’t believe you’re not making it easier for people coming off that estate.”

He added roads are already busy at peak times in the area, including routes leading to the Tyne Tunnel.

Council officers noted highways officers had not objected to the plans, while an assessment estimated there would be 46 vehicles departing the site an hour during peak times, equating to less than one vehicle a minute.

Councillor David Kennedy, Primrose representative, noted numerous developments are already underway in Hebburn, with the area being seen as “one big building site” by residents.

Following a suggestion by officers, councillors unanimously backed deferring a decision to allow planners to come back with more information in response to concerns and look at potential alternative suggestions.

Seven letters of objection from Hebburn residents had been submitted to the council over the proposals, raising concerns such as increased pressures on schools and GPs, and the suitability of vehicular access.

The proposals had set out a mix of dwelling types, including 10 two-bedroom units, 77 three-bedroom units and 40 four-bedroom units.

Off-site highway works were also proposed to improve access to the site for non-car users, including improvements to existing bus stops on Leam Lane.

Council planning officers had recommended approval, subject to the completion of a legal agreement securing cash and other measures from developers to make the scheme acceptable.

This included 20% affordable housing, equating to 25 units, being provided with a mix of tenures such as First Homes, affordable rent and discount market value units.

The legal agreement would also have secured travel cards for first occupiers, funding for off-site street lighting and £288,000 to secure “compensatory grassland or other suitable habitat off-site” in South Tyneside.

Other aspects include developers covering the council’s costs in “progressing and implementing” a traffic regulation order.

This would introduce a 20mph speed limit within the proposed development site and on Lukes Lane, between its junction with Holmes Drive and its junction with the main site access.