We’re demanding South Tyneside’s Local Plan is scrapped after it was labelled ‘not sound’

In a letter to council chiefs, David Spencer also confirmed that, to meet the goal of erecting over 5,000 new houses, green belt must be built on – prompting fierce local criticism.

Mr Spencer has asked South Tyneside Council to look again at its Local Plan, including road improvements at Whitemare Pool, close to Fellgate, in Jarrow.

Near that location, residents are fighting proposals for the building of at least 1,200 homes on green belt.

Opponents fear he may let developers off the hook in paying their share of the estimated £40million needed to improve the road network to accommodate new housebuilding, including around Fellgate.

Residents and councillors fear the council will end up paying for this work, in the expectation of recovering the cash from future developers over a period of time.

In his report, Mr Spencer says this infrastructure work could be “incremental” and “vision-led”.

But the Fellgate and Hedworth ward Labour councillor, Cllr Geraldine Kilgour, said: “It’s my view that this is a dilution of the requirement for the developers to fund infrastructure for this private development that doesn’t meet the needs of the community.

“The Local Plan and the inspector should hold developers to account for provision of greater infrastructure and not the imitation vision-led intention.”

Of the whole report, she added: “Not sound should mean no, full stop’.

"Because of these modifications the inspector is proposing, it means the plan is not sound.

“That is a really solid statement and one I welcome because that’s what we’ve been saying all along.”

She added: “My view is that it indicates that a plan that was thrown out previously for not being sound has been found to be exactly that by an HM inspector.

“We have repeatedly said the inspector should throw it out. The plan is not acceptable, and we will keep on fighting it.”

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Mr Spencer recently concluded a public inquiry into the Local Plan, called after councillors twice rejected it last year.

His report suggests over a dozen areas in which it needs to be altered and has outlined how the council can do so in a series of ‘main modifications’.

They include better planning around playing pitch provision, including how current facilities in good condition can be better utilised.

Green Party councillor, Cllr Rachael Taylor, who represents Biddick and All Saints, said the inspector had “made it clear that substantial changes are required before it can proceed”.

She added: “The council must now prepare and consult on a schedule of these major modifications, highlighting that the plan in its current form fails to meet national planning tests.

“The inspector acknowledged the difficult choices made due to land constraints but confirmed that the plan proposes the loss of multiple playing fields and open spaces.

“Overall, the letter makes clear that the Local Plan remains unresolved, with major changes still needed and final judgment pending.”

The Save the Fellgate Green Belt Working Group has also previously warned that developers may not have to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Spokesman Dave Green said: “The fact that the inspector has determined that the plan as submitted is ‘not sound’ has confirmed that the vote to reject it on two separate occasions was the correct decision.

“Councillors voted on behalf of their residents against what was described at the time as a ‘deeply flawed’ Local Plan.”

Cllr Margaret Meling, South Tyneside Council’s lead member for economic growth and transport, said: “The Inspector has raised no soundness issues with the plan’s spatial strategy, including the alteration of Green Belt boundaries or with the principle of any of the proposed housing allocations.

“However, to ensure the plan is made sound, he has advised changes to the wording of a small number of the policies or the supporting text, which is common practice for plans progressing through the examination in public process.

“The council agrees with these suggested changes to ensure the plan is effective when used to determine planning applications. They will be consulted on in due course.”

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