Controversial plans for 130 homes between Marske and Saltburn are refused

Controversial plans for 130 homes between Marske and Saltburn have been refused.

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey had sought approval to build a development on a 14-acre site on land south of Marske Road.

But Redcar & Cleveland Council today rejected the bid, which had already provoked strong opposition among residents.

The refusal came despite a report by the authority’s own planning officials saying there would not be enough of an adverse impact on the “strategic gap” to warrant a refusal to grant approval.

In total, 11 councillors voted to refuse while one abstained.

The proposals had already attracted 222 letters of objection, with opponents claiming the development would erode the green wedge between Saltburn, Marske and New Marske.

Campaigners also held a protest ahead of today’s meeting at the Redcar Heart.

The development has also reignited the row over the council’s lack of a long-term plan to meet housing needs, known as a “local plan”.

Without such a policy, such developments could potentially still go ahead on appeal, despite the rejection by the council.

An attempt to approve a local plan last year failed and a new plan is now being drawn up.

Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Tom Blenkinsop said: “The lack of a Local Plan, which was voted down by a coalition of Tory, Lib Dem, Independent and Green councillors, is responsible for removing a series of objections as this site was not identified for housing in that plan. But the members of the planning committee have rightly seen sense and rejected this badly though out and unwanted development.

“I thank them for listening to my concerns and the concerns of the 220 residents who formally objected to the development which would have seen the green wedge between Saltburn and Marske eroded and was out of development limits

“Thankfully this development has been rejected, but this could be the start of a planning free for all where big companies can build unwanted developments because of the Tory, Lib Dem, Independent and Green councillors who rejected the local plan.

“The developers can still appeal the decision and this will be judged by Eric Pickles against the Tory-led government’s National Planning Policy Framework because the Tory, Lib Dem, Independent and Green councillors rejected Labours Local Plan which would have introduced tighter planning regulations in Redcar and Cleveland.

“Redcar and Cleveland urgently needs a Local Plan to stop more unwanted and unregulated planning applications, if Labours Local Plan was in voted for by Tory, Lib Dem, Independent and Green councillors it is very likely that this proposal would not have been made in the first place as the land was not identified for housing.”