YET another planning application to build hundreds of homes is to be debated by Stockton Borough Council.

However, this time planning officers are recommending the council reject the scheme to build 340 houses on land to the north of Stockton, which is off Harrowgate Lane, near Bishopsgarth School and the University Hospital of North Tees.

The application is to built two, three and four-bedroom detached and semi-detached houses on the 33 acre site. A total of 15 per cent would be 'affordable'.'

Plans to build more than 3,200 new homes have been approved in recent years, many in the south of the borough.

Despite that the authority is still falling short of what the Government expects it to provide based on projected housing need and that makes it harder for the council's planning committee to reject plans.

Controversial housing developments given approval in recently included schemes to build 350 homes at Morley Carr Farm, Yarm; 370 at Green Lane, Yarm and more than 800 homes on the old Ministry of Defence site at Allens West in Eaglescliffe.

The new application is on land already identified as being suitable for 2,500 dwellings. However, it has not yet been incorporated in the forthcoming Local Plan and planning officers are concerned this application could cause longer term planning problems for bigger projects.

There are also worries about increasing flood risks and highway safety issues and officers are recommending the committee refuse the proposal when it meets on Wednesday, December 3 at 1.30pm.

A total of 34 members of the public have also objected for reasons including it is greenfield land and not brownfield, a lack of infrastructure and concerns over an increase in traffic and congestion.

However applicant , Ronald Firby, also wrote to the planning committee to point out that a masterplan had already designated the land suitable for housing and planning officers had agreed the land was "suitable, sustainable, developable and deliverable...there is no adverse, severe impact on anything...the traffic flows have been correctly considered and nothing prevents immediate development."