Hundreds of new houses 'dumped' in town without proper plan to cope

COUNCILLOR URGES 'RIGHT HOMES IN RIGHT PLACES WITH RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE'

- By STUART ARNOLD

HUNDREDS of new houses are being "dumped" on Guisborough without a proper plan to cope, a councillor has claimed.

Councillor Jemma Joy, who leads the Liberal Democrats on Redcar and Cleveland Council and is a Hutton ward member, described how developers continued to “snaffle up tasty space”.

Cllr Joy highlighted how Government housing targets meant 559 new housing completions were now required every year in Redcar and Cleveland, a 139% increase on the previous target of 234.

She also suggested that there was a gap for the market to exploit since the council was replacing its Local Plan, which sets out a 15-year strategy for development.

The current one was published in 2018 and plays a crucial role in guiding the outcome of planning applications, also taking into account alongside national planning policy.

Last December, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner wrote to all local authority leaders to ask that councils review and update their timetables for getting an up-to-date plan in place within 12 weeks of her letter.

The council's cabinet subsequently agreed the next steps required, although a draft new Local Plan won't be issued until proposed planning reforms and related legislation is finalised.

The agreed timescale envisages public consultation over a draft Local Plan to begin in July next year with a final submission to the Secretary of State in August 2027.