Outline plans for a new residential development on land to the north of Hurworth are set to go on show in the village at a public exhibition next month.Having completed its review of information gathered from the site, County Durham developer Banks Property, part of The Banks Group has confirmed that it will be bringing forward plans for a high quality development comprising around 90 family homes off Roundhill Road in the village.
A public exhibition of the family-owned firm’s initial ideas for the project will be held between 3pm and 7pm onThursday 5 May at Hurworth Village Hall, at which members of the Banks Property project team will be on hand to answer questions about what they’re looking to do.
And they will also be gathering further ideas from local people about how they think the overall development package might deliver significant economic, environmental and social benefits for the local community.
Initial ideas on what local priorities might be were gathered at a project briefing meeting with Hurworth Parish Council last month, with cycle paths, play areas, new community facilities and new areas of open space, and Banks Property is now looking for further suggestions from visitors to its exhibition.
Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, says: “The geological and ecological data we’ve been gathering from this site has given us the confirmation we required that this is technically suitable site for the sort of development we’re proposing, and we’ve moved quickly to put on this exhibition so that local people can find out directly about our initial proposals for the site as early as possible.
“The exhibition is the next stage of a comprehensive range of local consultation events and meetings that will ensure everyone has the opportunity to comment on our plans at an early stage in the development process, and can get accurate information on the various economic, employment, environmental, social and supply chain benefits they could bring to the area.
“Last month’s briefing meeting with the Parish Council enabled us to get some good initial ideas on what long-term community improvements might be supported as part of this development, and the members were very clear in their wish to see direct benefits resulting for local people from any development that wins planning approval.
“We’re very much open to hearing more suggestions from visitors to the exhibition on what benefits they would like to see, and hope as many local people as possible will come along to find out more about our ideas for themselves.
“There is a clear and increasingly pressing need across North East England to increase the available supply of quality homes. We firmly believe that young families in the region should have the chance to live in the places where they grow up or where they wish to be, and think Roundhill Road site is a wholly appropriate location for the type of development we’re proposing.”
A planning application for the Roundhill Road, Hurworth development is expected to be submitted to Darlington Borough Council over the summer.
For further information on Banks’ outline plans, please visit www.banksgroup.co.uk/