Plans for 62-home housing development in Jarrow - the first by council's own development company - set to be approved

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee will discuss a site sidelined for housing near Eskdale Drive, on the Lakes Estate, Jarrow, on Tuesday.

If approved, a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes will be built and offered for private sale.

It will also mark the start of a new council project to turn unloved and unused land into prime housing.

Applicant Centaurea Homes Ltd is a firm which was recently set up by council bosses.

It aims to boost the borough’s housing stock and turn a profit – using cash to support other income streams.

This includes identifying sites house builders have shunned, transforming them and appointing a contractor.

The application at Eskdale Drive is a pilot project for this model.

However, the final decision rests with councillors.

A report, prepared for the committee, recommends the plans for approval.

It reads: “The proposed development would be constructed on previously developedresidential land within the built-up area of Jarrow.

“It has been purposely cleared to make way for new housing and it has good connectivity to the strategic highway network across the borough.”

The report adds the plans are “acceptable” in terms of layout and design, highway safety and environmental impacts.

Several planning conditions also cover tree protection fencing, drainage schemes, street lighting and noise reduction for the estate.

However, no affordable housing is proposed on the site due to issues around “viability.”

Centaurea Homes Ltd has not set a target for the number of properties it hopes to build each year. It operates by securing loans from the council on which it will be charged interest, providing a return.

Before the application was submitted, neighbours and ward councillors were consulted on the plans. According to the planning report, no formal objections were lodged to the housing estate.