Darlington Gypsy Traveller Site Plans Likely to be Approved

Darlington Council might approve some building plans. These plans involve utility buildings and mobile homes. They also include touring pitches near Neasham Road. Robert Cunningham submitted this application for consideration. It faced delays and previous rejections.

Back in 2020, the council rejected a similar request, which was for a Gypsy/Traveller site. It included five buildings, homes, and pitches. The council thought Neasham Road wasn’t a good spot and saw it as visually intrusive.

The Planning Inspectorate dismissed an appeal in 2022, but they allowed land use nearby. There’s already a Gypsy site called Little Beck further north, and it sits on Burma Road’s corner with Neasham Road.

The plans changed in August 2024, reducing the buildings, homes, and pitches to two each. This change addresses ecology and biodiversity requirements.

The applicant says Darlington needs more Gypsy/Traveller sites. Since 2017, only two new pitches got approved. The applicant thinks this need outweighs landscape concerns, and they want quick approval for their request.

The planning committee will vote next Wednesday, March 4, and approval is recommended. A report says this helps provide Gypsy/Traveller sites. The Planning Inspector thought location was sustainable and visual impact was minimal.

However, there were six objections from four properties. These concerns are regarding extra construction traffic, in addition to the traffic of a new housing development nearby.

One objector calls Neasham Road an “unregulated mess,” while another claims the project does not fit the rural area. Someone else questions why previous rejections don’t suffice, asking, “When does no mean no?”