New housing and renewable energy park could be built on Billingham wetland

A wetland area of Billingham is being scoped as a potential site for new housing and a renewable energy park.

A feasibility study has been carried at Norton Bottoms, next to the A19, by environmental and engineering consultancy Wardell Armstrong, under the instruction of Billingham Valley Developments.

The report describes the 35 hectare site as “currently unoccupied, comprising principally of open land vegetated by rough grasses and bushes”.

Areas adjacent to Billingham Beck “are densely vegetated with reeds”, the report, which is available on Stockton Council’s website, goes on.

The proposed development is bound by the A19 Fleet Bridge Road along its southern and western edges. To the north the site is bound by the residential area of New Road Estate and to north east the site is bound by Lucite International.

The scoping report identifies the development areas as:

• Residential development to the northwest of site;

• Renewable Energy Park with potential for a number of technologies;

• Landscaping and wildlife enhancement to the north west and south of site

• Recreation area to the north east of site; and

• The existing reedbeds to the east of site.

Land near New Road, Billingham which developers want to build houses on

The Environment Agency has identified areas around the site boundaries as Flood Zone 3 - an area likely to be flooded by a one in 100 year event.

But the scoping report says “the proposed areas for development on the site are all outside the areas likely to flood”.

The Civil Aviation Authority commented that if wind turbines were proposed as part of the energy park - although they are not specifically mentioned - it would then want to offer advice:

Tees Archaeology backed a suggestion to use a surviving World War II pillbox as part of a heritage trail.

Labour Billingham councillor Evaline Cunningham, said she had not yet heard about the plans, but added: “To my mind it’s a swampy area. It would really have to be closely looked at before they built on it.”