Plans for 450 Darlington homes at Skerningham Garden Village

Skerningham Estates Ltd submitted a hybrid planning application for the initial part of the development and outlined how the new Darlington community could look. 

A new retail store and pub could also be built on the site during the first phase of development. 

Of the 450 proposed homes, 90 of those would be categorised as “affordable”. 

Plans show how the initial 450-home layout could look (Image: Skerningham Estates)

The project is estimated to cost around £120 million. 

The Skerningham Garden Village will adjoin existing communities at Beaumont Hill, Whinfield, and Great Burdon. Barmpton Village is also located to the north east of the site. 

All proposals for new housing within the community must follow the Design Code adopted by Darlington Borough Council in September 2023.

Up to 1,650 houses and facilities such as a GP surgery and schools could be built at the Skerningham Garden Village, to the north of Darlington, by 2036, with a further 4,500 homes planned on the site in the future.

The developer Skerningham Estates says it will create a “liveable and sustainable community, designed around prioritising residents’ health, well-being and overall quality of life”.

However, hundreds of residents backed a campaign calling on the council to protect a nearby woodland and wildlife. Objectors remain concerned about the potential location of a new distributor road for the site, which has not been finalised. 

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The Skerningham Garden Village will adjoin existing communities at Beaumont Hill, Whinfield, and Great Burdon. (Image: Skerningham Estates)

Drafted plans show how the distributor road could be built through the Skerningham Woodland area, despite previous assurances from the former Conservative-led Darlington Council that it was saved from development. 

Darlington Borough Council will review the planning application in due course. 

Elsewhere, work to build a second new community housing development is underway. Burtree Garden Village, in Faverdale, will ultimately see 2,000 new homes built over 20 years. A new school, community centre, pub, and health facilities are also proposed. It will be built on old farmland near Burtree Lane, Faverdale Industrial Estate, and the A68.Recommended reading: