THERE are fears that another housing estate in Middleton St George will aggravate flooding problems in nearby Neasham.

C M Yuill wants to build 80 homes on the site of the former Brookside works of Durham Tube, which closed 11 months ago.

The Darlington Road company made components for the petrochemical industry and the land has also been used as an ironworks and a brickworks.

Low Dinsdale Parish Council was given a preview of the plans at its meeting on Wednesday, when it decided to lodge an objection with Darlington Borough Council.

Chairman, Coun Frank Richardson, told the D&S Times: "We are very worried about the surface water which will drain into the beck at the side of this land.

"It runs down into Kent Beck at Neasham, which has been involved in flooding the village."

Coun Richardson said he was also concerned about the industrial contamination of the land, and the fact that Yuill told a public meeting there would be only 75 properties on it.

"I don't know how they are going to cope with 80 extra households being linked into what is basically an overloaded sewer."

He pointed out the new housing estate would also be on a very dangerous corner.

Commenting on the hundreds of new homes being built in the village, Coun Doris Jones said an extra classroom was being built onto the 18th century primary school to alleviate overcrowding. Another 80 houses would simply add to the problem.

"I think common sense would dictate that a new school should be built on the Durham Tube site, which would free the present school land for development. That would be in the best interests of the village," she added