Kingston Village: Major housing estate approved despite objections

Banks Property said infrastructure was "at the heart" of its Kingston Village plans

Controversial plans for a 900-home housing development have been approved.

The Kingston Village project was passed despite dozens of objections, as it would be built near to the 4,500-home Newcastle Great Park estate.

Wildlife campaigners and councillors had claimed roads, schools and other infrastructure in the area was already stretched to breaking point.

Planning officials said any limited harm would be outweighed by economic benefits, and the council backed it.

Civic centre planning officials had admitted that the plan would breach numerous council development policies, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The £178m development, by Banks Property, will be built on former green belt land to the west of Brunton Lane, between Kingston Park and Dinnington, and includes a new primary school.

It has led to a bitter row between Banks and the firms behind the Great Park development, who claim that a failure to build a new link road between the sites will force people down an "unsafe rat run" country lane.

It is expected that 375 of the new homes will be built by 2030

A total of 75 objections were made by people living nearby, with concerns including "grave misgivings" about an influx of traffic and claims that it will "cut off vital wildlife corridors".

The proposal also attracted objections from Newcastle International Airport, although 49 people wrote to express their support.

Banks' environment and community director Mark Dowdall insisted that Kingston Village would be an "exceptional development".

He claimed other developers were objecting as they viewed it as competition to Great Park - which itself has also faced objections.

He talked up a proposed £18m of improved local infrastructure, including three new footpaths and cycleways as well as an extension of the X47 bus service from Kingston Park. 

Mr Dowdall added that a failure to reach an agreement over land reserved for a new link road was "not for the want of trying", but the widened Little Brunton Lane has been heavily scrutinised by council transport officials over the last four years and deemed safe.

It is expected that 375 of the new homes will be built by 2030.