'Design out crime' call as housing plans approved

An artist's impression of how the new scheme could look

Police have urged developers to "design out crime" ahead of hundreds of homes being built.

Hartlepool's South West Extension project will eventually see 1,260 houses, a school, medical centre and restaurant built on land between the A689 and Brierton Lane.

This week, detailed plans to create the first 316 properties as part of the major development were approved by Hartlepool Borough Council's planning committee.

Ahead of the meeting, Cleveland Police encouraged developers Persimmon to incorporate crime prevention measures, such as gated car parks, fewer paths in, and the use of plastic piping instead of copper.

During the consultation process, Cleveland Police's designing out crime officer (DOCO) Stephen Cranston encouraged Persimmon to reduce the potential of anti-social and criminal behaviour at the earliest possible stage.

In a letter urging the developers to seek "Secured by Design" accreditation, he said: "Once a development has been completed the main opportunity to design out crime has gone."

The initiative aims to deter criminals by incorporating "architectural crime prevention measures" in new projects and refurbishments.

Unanimously approved

An initial hybrid application by Persimmon for the development was given the green light earlier this year.

The latest planning meeting, attended by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, saw the committee unanimously approve a more detailed application to allow for the construction of the initial 316 properties.

The approval came following calls to change the proposed name of the new site to better reflect the area's heritage.

At the meeting, Persimmon's Alice Hall said concerns over the Greatham Meadows name had been addressed, with the developers working with a local historian and resident Robert Smith to come up with a name that better commemorated the site's history.