Decision over bid to build 14 new Hartlepool homes is delayed again

Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning committee were due to decide on Wednesday whether to approve proposals for the new three and four bed homes at Southbrooke Farm, in Summerhill Lane, Hartlepool.

However, at the meeting, Cllr Mike Young, the chair of the committee, noted some issues had appeared just ahead of the meeting.

So councillors had decided the best thing to do was to consider the application at a future date.

The plans, from applicant Mike Dickinson, were previously approved by councillors in 2017, subject to a legal agreement securing planning contributions, which the applicant had agreed to pay at the time.

However, since then the applicant contacted council officers and said they are unable to pay the required contributions, which were previously agreed following the submission of a viability assessment.

The costs totalled more than £230,000 and would have included contributions towards education and sporting facilities in the region along with a sum towards the forthcoming Elwick bypass on the outskirts of town.

A report ahead of the latest meeting, from council senior planning officer Jane Tindall, had recommended the proposals were refused by councillors due to the financial planning contributions no longer being in place.

The site subject to the plans is accessed from Catcote Road.

The proposals had been set to go before councillors in April this year until the application was withdrawn from the agenda at the applicant’s request.