Plans for the development of a new community to the north west of Newcastle have won the backing of Newcastle City Council’s planning committee.
North East developer Banks Property put forward proposals for the creation of Kingston Village, which would include the construction of around 900 new family homes to the west of Brunton Lane on a 49-hectare site which was allocated for housing in the 2015 Newcastle & Gateshead Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan.
The County Durham-headquartered family firm held several community exhibitions to introduce its outline plans, with comments and ideas from local residents being factored into the development of the planning application that was submitted to Newcastle City Council in 2019.
The plans were recommended for approval by the City Council’s expert planning officers and have now been supported by its planning committee, with their decision set to result in an investment of around £178m in the North East economy.
Alongside the new properties, which will include 135 affordable homes, Kingston Village will also feature community assets including a new primary school, a local shop and cafe, allotments, a village green and substantial amounts of public open space.
A network of public footpaths and cycle ways, including links to nearby communities, will be put in place, while significant improvements to the local road network, public transport links and wildlife habitats will also be made.
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, says: “Having had a recommendation for approval from Newcastle City Council’s planning officers for this high-quality scheme, we are very pleased that its planning committee has been minded to follow their guidance today.
“Our vision is for Kingston Village to be an outstanding, vibrant community which will integrate successfully into the west of Newcastle”
“Our vision is for Kingston Village to be an outstanding, vibrant community which will integrate successfully into the west of Newcastle and will see a £178 million pound investment helping to address the increasing need to boost the city’s housing supply.
“Delivering around 900 new homes at Kingston Village, including 135 affordable homes, as well as community assets including a new primary school, a local shop and cafe, 100 new allotments, a village green and substantial amounts of public open space, will support the creation of an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable new community.
“Improvements to the local road, footpath and cycleway network, the provision of a ten percent Biodiversity net gain that will create new wildlife habitats such as species rich grassland, the planting of over 5.6km of new hedgerows, the provision of much-needed affordable housing and enhanced public transport services will also benefit both new and nearby residents, and the city’s wider environment.
“We are grateful to everyone who has provided their comments and support over the last four years, and will now look to move our plans forward as soon as possible.”