Plans for 255 homes on farmland refused

The land is on the edge of Hetton and one of its boundaries runs next to Hazard Lane

Plans for hundreds of homes on agricultural land have been turned down.

Gladman Developments Limited wanted to build up to 255 homes in the Hetton area of Sunderland.

The developer said the site was a "significant opportunity" to contribute towards housing needs in the area.

But the plans were deemed a "major incursion into the open countryside and green corridor" and were refused unanimously by Sunderland City Council on Monday.

Other reasons for the refusal included poor public transport connections and a lack of information around biodiversity and drainage.

There was also lack of financial contribution towards education facilities in the area, planners said.

However, councillors were told the developer was willing to provide it, subject to clarification on the sum requested by the Labour-run local authority.

'Fundamentally unacceptable'

During the planning meeting, a representative for the applicant asked the committee to defer the decision so outstanding technical matters could be addressed.

Council planning officers said a number of those could be looked at but noted the principle of the housing development itself was "fundamentally unacceptable".

The applicant has the right to challenge the council decision by lodging an appeal with the Secretary of State.

A public consultation on the proposals saw eight objections, including from Hetton Town Council.

Concerns raised included traffic and impact on wildlife and schools.

The same developers were refused an outline planning permission for housing on the site in March 2021 over lack of supporting information on key issues, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.