The Parish Council oppose the Borough Council's proposals for a site at Salters Lane West on the following grounds:
1. The proposals are contrary to the Borough Council’s Policy CS 13 Accommodating Travelling Groups. Specifically the following paragraphs in the policy:
"Where required, additional sites for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling showpeople will be allocated in accordance with the following criteria, which will also be the basis for determination of windfall sites, ensuring that sites:
a) have appropriate access and are in a sustainable location for schools, shops, employment opportunities and other local facilities and services;
b) are located and designed so as not to have an unacceptable negative impact on existing residential amenity or existing landscape character;
c) are appropriate to provide a safe and healthy environment for residents;
d) are located in areas not at risk from flooding."
2. The Parish Council gives the evidence in points 3 to 6 below to support its belief that paragraphs a) to d) in the Borough Council’s Policy CS 13 cannot be complied with in the case of the site at Salters Lane West.
3. CS 13 Accommodating Travelling Groups a) have appropriate access and are in a sustainable location for schools, shops, employment opportunities and other local facilities and services.
There is a shortage of school places in the area where the proposed site will be located. Harrowgate Hill Primary School and Whinfield Primary School are heavily over-subscribed and will be so for a number of years. Longfield Academy the nearest secondary school is also heavily over-subscribed. There are no schools within walking distance of the site which can accommodate children from the proposed site. Therefore this will result in children being bussed outside the area to school.
4. CS 13 Accommodating Travelling Groups b) are located and designed so as not to have an unacceptable negative impact on existing residential amenity or existing landscape character.
The proposed site in a predominantly rural area will have an unacceptable negative impact on the rural landscape of the area and will be visually intrusive especially to properties in the Parish in Harrowgate Village on the A167 and Hartlea Avenue.
5. CS 13 Accommodating Travelling Groups c) are appropriate to provide a safe and healthy environment for residents.
The land will not provide a safe and healthy environment for residents especially children because electricity pylons cross the land and the site is bounded to the east by the East Coast Main Railway line and there will be noise from the railway.
6. CS 13 Accommodating Travelling Groups d) are located in areas not at risk from flooding.
The land is low lying and is at risk from flooding, is boggy and is considered to be unsuitable as a potential site on this basis.
7. The site is a green field site for allotments and farming. The Parish Council believes that the site should remain as a rural green field and continue to be used for allotments and farming only.
8. The Parish Council is concerned that there is no indication in the proposals about how effluent from the site will be dealt with.
The Parish Council urges Darlington Borough Council to discuss with the other Tees Valley Borough Councils the provision of more gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople sites in their areas. The provision should not fall on Darlington to have largest number of pitches. The Parish Council notes that Hartlepool does not have any pitches at present but will have 9 sites by the end of 2012 The Parish Council also notes that Stockton will have 65 sites, Redcar and Cleveland will have 20 sites and Middlesbrough 20 sites by the end of 2012 whereas Darlington is expected to have 82 sites by the end of 2012.
