Concerns village is becoming a 'scarily busy town'

Residents have said the expansion of their village is changing its semi-rural character

Residents say the expansion of their village is turning it into a housing estate.

About 330 properties are to be built in Middleton St George, near Darlington, after applications from Bellway Homes and Avant Homes were approved on Wednesday, while a third is still to be considered.

Resident Amy Robinson said she feared further development would turn "a lovely welcoming village into a scarily busy town".

Avant Homes said the development was granted planning permission by the council "as part of a wider local plan to provide much needed new homes for the area".

Ms Robinson said she did not believe the area's current infrastructure would be able to cope with an increase in vehicles caused by further housebuilding.

Fellow resident Helen Boston purchased a property in the nearby Oak Meadows development but said further construction would mean local amenities would not be able to cope.

"The semi-rural status of the village is what makes it attractive and a lovely place to live," she said.

Impact on village

Residents have predicted by 2030 about 7,000 people will be living in Middleton St George, up from around 5,000 in 2021.

Middleton St George Parish Council said the "significant and major" development would impact the centre of the village and existing pedestrian and traffic flows.

"We are concerned that adequate provision will not be made to support the impact that both of these developments will have on the infrastructure of the village," the council said.

"This includes: school capacity, primary care health services and utilities infrastructure including sewage and drainage systems."

Several commercial units and a primary school were also proposed on the eastern side of Middleton st George, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But the plans for the new school have been put on hold after Darlington Borough Council's head of planning, David Coates, said there was "clear evidence" a school was not needed in the area.

A spokesperson for Avant Homes said the properties it was building would give "more people the opportunity to become part of Middleton St George's community".

Bellway Homes has been contacted for comment.