Plans for a proposed small-scale residential development in a village to the south east of Durham City have been submitted to Durham County Council for review.
Housebuilder Banks Homes is looking to build up to 77 energy efficient family homes on a site on the south eastern edge of High Shincliffe, close to the route of the Leamside Line.
The Whitwell Acres development would include a 35 per cent affordable homes allocation and a number of bungalows, with all the new homes being fitted with air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points to help minimise carbon emissions.
Contributions would be made towards enhancing local healthcare and educational facilities, while a biodiversity net gain of at least ten per cent would be delivered through the project and a sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) pond would be used to manage drainage from the development while also offering a new natural habitat.
Banks Homes held two community consultation events last year to give local people the chance to find out more about the project and to ask the Banks team questions about it.
The County Durham-headquartered firm is now expecting the project to come before Durham County Council’s planning committee later this year – and if it is approved, work could start on site by summer 2028.
Part of North East employer the Banks Group, Banks Homes is building a growing portfolio of high-quality residential sites across North East England and Yorkshire, with development under way at sites in West Rainton, Yarm and Hambleton near Selby.
The company recently submitted planning applications for a new development at Redmarshall near Stockton, which would see around 75 family homes being built on a site to the south of the village, and a further development on the south eastern edge of Sedgefield, which would include around 50 new homes.
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, says: “The sustainable, contemporary new homes that we’re looking to build at High Shincliffe would give more local people and families a greater opportunity to stay in the area while also delivering a substantial range of economic, social and environmental benefits.
“This site has excellent public and sustainable transport links with both Durham City and the surrounding area, while it is also close to essential services in High Shincliffe and Bowburn, and we’re confident that there will be strong demand for the new homes that we’re looking to build.
“We’re very pleased to have reached this landmark in the progression of our plans for Whitwell Acres and hope the members of the County Council’s planning committee will recognise their quality and suitability when they come to consider them later in the year.”
For further information on Banks Homes’ proposed Whitwell Acres development at High Shincliffe, please visit https://www.banksgroup.co.uk/projects/highshincliffe/
To contact the Banks Homes project team, please email highshincliffe@banksgroup.co.uk