Plans to build dozens of new homes for Gateshead's Orthodox Jewish community on the site of a former bus deport are set to be approved.
The Jewish Community Council of Gateshead applied to the council for permission to build 26 four-bedroom houses on the old Go-ahead bus depot near Sunderland Road.
A report by Gateshead Council planners says the new homes, classed as affordable housing, are designed with the needs of Orthodox families in mind.
To achieve this features such as larger kitchens to allow food to be prepared separately in line with religious requirements have been included.
It said: "The houses have been designed to the specific cultural requirements of the Orthodox Jewish community, including an interconnected kitchen, dining and living spaces with study facilities, a sukkah with secondary eating space and an appropriately sized kitchen for food-type separation, suiting the needs of a large Jewish family in terms of layout, detailing and installation of fixtures and fittings."
The council's planning department have recommended approval for the scheme.
A design and access statement submitted to Gateshead Council said the houses, which would be built on land next to Aldi, would bring more than 200 jobs into the area during construction.
The document said this would be made up of 90 construction jobs and 135 supply chain roles during the 14 month build time.
Once the houses are built and families move in the scheme will also bring in tens of thousands of pounds in council tax revenue and new homes bonus.
It added: "Once complete, the proposed development could generate £40,000 in increased Council Tax receipts per annum and a total of £170,000 in New Homes Bonus payments over a 4 year period (contingent on Gateshead Council delivering housing growth above the 0.4% threshold)."
Gateshead Council's planning and development committee will vote on the proposals on Wednesday.
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