AN application to vary plans for a housing development in Spennymoor have sparked calls for a review of a wider homes proposal.

Development partners Yuill Homes and Bellways have been granted permission to alter the layout and type of homes to the west of Carr Lane by Sedgefield Borough Council.

The redrafted plans will make space for an extra four homes - taking the number from 230 to 234.

Residents have now voiced concerns about proposals to build hundreds more homes nearby.

The site, known as Whitworth Park, lies on the former Whitworth Colliery, and was allocated for housing in 1996.

But the move brought debate over the status of the land, which was initially regarded as brownfield or previously developed - the preferred option for new housing - and was later classed as greenfield.

The Government Office North East assessed the issue and last year decided it would be suitable for building because it is close to the town centre and there is a lack of suitable brownfield land to meet local housing needs.

Head of planning services, Charlie Walton, told a development control committee meeting: "This is about substitution of house types and minor alterations, there are plans for 200 and 300 houses in the offing and a plan for 100 has been withdrawn for now.

"It leads to the general debate about loss of greenfield, it isn't that we have a lot of brownfield land available, we will have to look at greenfield sites. All future proposals will be thoroughly scrutinised."