Plans for 83 homes in a County Durham village have been approved despite concerns over their impact on local school places. 

The new housing estate will be built on land west of Coronation Terrace, Coxhoe, after a proposal was approved by Durham County Council’s planning committee on Tuesday. 

A mix of two, three, and four-bedroom houses and bungalows will be built by applicant Gleeson Homes, which will demolish existing farm buildings on the site. New vehicular access will also be created. 

Among the new homes, five will be available as ‘discount market sale units’, four as ‘affordable rent’, and three as ‘first homes’. The development will be a mix of single-storey and two-storey houses, with parking areas and private rear gardens.

Where the new homes will be built in Coxhoe (outlined in red)Where the new homes will be built in Coxhoe (outlined in red) (Image: Google)

However, residents warned Coxhoe is becoming oversaturated with new homes, with 898 now approved or pending in the community. 

Coxhoe Parish Council said: “This and other developments will leave the village school oversubscribed and leave the village where it was back in the year 2000, where new developments closer to the school will result in children from existing properties further from the school not being allocated places on the 'distance to school' criteria.  

“We believe that this will lead to even more children being driven to school, increasing CO2 emissions and exacerbating parking and existing traffic problems around Bowburn and Kelloe schools.”

A total of four objections were submitted, including from the parish council and Coxhoe Primary School. Residents repeatedly criticised Gleeson Homes for not pledging to make a financial contribution to Coxhoe Primary School despite other housing developers having done so. 

The village’s county councillors and parish council urged the developer to pledge up to £375,000 to support the school’s much-needed expansion.

In September 2020, Durham County Council’s education department expected a contribution of £441,090 but by July 2024, with 17 fewer properties in the revised application, no contribution for primary school education was required after changes to the policy. 

The council’s policy states that a primary contribution will be required if there are insufficient primary places within two miles of a development. Yet, its education officers said there would be sufficient space at nearby primary schools including Coxhoe, Bowburn, Kelloe and West Cornforth. The nearest Secondary School is Ferryhill School.

Coxhoe Primary School Coxhoe Primary School (Image: The Northern Echo)

Gleeson Homes said the new development will provide “much-needed” family housing in the community and will instead fund other local health and education services. 

A statement read: “The site lies on the edge of a residential area in close proximity to services and facilities including access to sustainable travel options such as bus services and footpath links. There is ready access to local amenities, schools and employment sites, making the development socially sustainable.

“Development of the site will bring a number of direct social and economic benefits directly to Coxhoe and the surrounding area, including a health contribution of £40,089 towards GP surgery capacity at Bowburn Medical Centre and Claypath & University Health Centre;  education contributions of £267,432 towards secondary and £83,980 towards SEND.”

Despite councillor Liz Brown labelling the situation “completely wrong”, committee members were told the council would struggle to defend any decision to refuse the application at an appeal. 

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Councillor David Freeman admitted it wasn’t an easy decision but said, “only a minority of children will end up walking to school”. 

“As much as I sympathise with the school - we need new housing in the area,” added councillor Louise Fenwick. 

The planning application was approved unanimously.