CAMPAIGNERS are objecting to a scheme to build 110 homes on the outskirts of a village.

TaylorWimpey has submitted a planning application to build the properties on Rose Cottage Farm, Stainton, near Middlesbrough However, members of Stainton and Thornton parish and community councils fear that the development will lead to the village losing its identity.

Councillor Alan Liddle, vice-chairman of the parish council and chairman of the community council, believes that over-development could lead to the village being engulfed by Middlesbrough.

He said: "We don't see why the green belt land at Rose Cottage Farm should be turned over to housing development when less than a mile away there is a brownfield site at the old Hemlington Hospital that could be used for housing.

"The fear is that, with further developments planned, near the Sporting Lodge on Low Lane and in the Hemlington area, the village will be engulfed by Middlesbrough and lose its identity.

"We are not opposed to development in the village - there are infill sites that are adding things to the village - but many people move to the village to live a certain way of life and that could be lost if this development goes ahead."

The application is mainly made up of 88 properties with four bedrooms or more, while five have been earmarked for social housing.

In the developer's application pack, the proposed scheme is said to be a carefully-considered response to the village context and the constraints and opportunities of the site.

Last week, Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon and Tom Blenkinsop, the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP, attended a meeting to listen to residents' concerns.

Coun Liddle added: "The village has fewer than 600 properties at the moment and building 110 will have an impact on residents.

"Many people feel it would lose its identity as a village and it would be the thin end of the wedge for many people.

"We also don't feel that the infrastructure of the village would be able to cope with a development of this scale."

People can register their views on the planning application by writing to: Shelly Vickers, planning officer, Middlesbrough Council, Ground Floor, Civic Centre, Middlesbrough, TS1 2QQ.