Housing developers criticised for facilities delay bid

Housing developers have been accused of “moving the goalposts” after applying to delay the delivery of key community facilities at a garden village scheme, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.

Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes have submitted an updated planning application seeking to push back the point at which several promised amenities must be provided.

Under the original agreement, a primary school, health and wellbeing hub, village centre, business and innovation hub, village square and village green were all due to be in place before the 750th home was occupied.

But the developers are now asking for that threshold to be moved to before the occupation of the 1,000th home.

The Seaham Garden Village development has planning permission for up to 1,500 homes and includes proposals for a primary school, integrated community health and wellbeing hub, community allotments and other facilities.

Seaham councillor Chris Fairs criticised the proposal, saying it would leave hundreds of additional families without the facilities they had been promised.

He accused the developers of “moving the goalposts” at the detriment of residents. 

Cllr Fairs added: “When this massive scheme was approved, the developer was required to have a primary school, a health and wellbeing hub, a village centre, a business and innovation hub, and a village square and green in place before the 750th home was occupied,” he said.

“They now want to push that back to the 1,000th home.

“That’s 250 extra families living on that site with none of those promised facilities. No local school. No health hub. Nothing.

“These trigger points were put in place for a reason – to make sure infrastructure keeps pace with housing. Developers should not be allowed to build the homes, pocket the profit, and delay the community benefits that residents were promised.”

George Anderson, Reform county councillor for Dalton and Dawdon ward, also objected to the latest proposal. 

He warned: “Residents will inevitably place increased demand on existing provision in the surrounding area – including schools and GP services in Seaham and Dawdon. This is not a neutral delay. It has real consequences for neighbouring communities and existing residents.”

Marketing is currently underway for the approved uses and floor spaces within the village centre, business innovation hub, and health and wellbeing hub. 

But Pegasus Group, speaking on behalf of the developers, said the facilities are unlikely to be in use by the time the 750th property is occupied due to “insufficient time for future occupiers to be identified”. 

It added that amending the trigger would enable time for the appropriate marketing and planning requirements to be achieved for the village centre uses. 

The latest application will be considered by Durham County Council in due course.