Plans for dozens of new homes in a North Tyneside suburb are set to be approved despite residents’ traffic fears.
The Homes And Communities Agency And Bellway Homes have applied for permission to build 74 houses in Benton.
If the plans are given the go-ahead a mixture of apartments, semi-detached and detached dwellings ranging in size from 1-4 bedrooms will be built on land south of Whitley Road.
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North Tyneside Council’s planning department has advised the authority’s planning committee to approve the new homes saying more housing is needed in the area.
A report to the committee said: “The council does not have a 5-year supply of deliverable housing sites.
“It therefore follows that planning permission should be granted unless the impacts of the development significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.”
This didn’t pass muster with some residents, however, with 16 objections lodged with the authority.
Objectors are worried about traffic congestion, drainage and impact on the wildlife.
One resident said that a near-by junction was already a “nightmare”.
They wrote: “This proposed development will incur a tremendous amount of inconvenience to a lot of the residents of the area, especially the junction work which is already a nightmare situation and will affect the traffic from Forest Hall and Killingworth.”
The residents of the near-by Old County Police House added: “Having lived in the property for nearly thirty years we have seen the traffic dramatically increase from the average main road flow to near breaking point.”
A design and access statement lodged with the council by the developer’s agent Lichfields said the scheme would be good for the area.
It said: “The development creates housing choice, public open space and improves public access across the site and Tyneview Park adjacent.”
The council’s planning committee will vote on the application on Tuesday.
