Gentoo bidding to build 109 new affordable homes near nature reserve

Plans to progress an affordable homes development in the Southwick area near a nature reserve have been submitted to council development chiefs.

- by Chris Binding

Sunderland City Council's planning department has received a "reserved matters" application for land north of Emsworth Road in the Carley Hill area.

The plans from Gentoo Group are seeking permission for the development of 109 homes with associated access, landscaping and infrastructure.

An outline planning application to establish the principle of housing on the site was approved by councillors back in 2022 against the backdrop of local concerns about loss of green space and wildlife impacts.

This was because the proposed housing site sits near the Fulwell Quarry Local Nature Reserve, however, council planning officers at the time confirmed a section of Green Belt included in the Gentoo scheme, to the north of the site, would not be used for houses but instead solely for "ecological landscaping".

Proposed works included "improved planting" and creating a "landscape buffer" to a nearby site of special scientific interest (SSSI).