‘Majority of people remain opposed to development’ claim East Boldon campaigners

Citing infrastructure and environmental concerns, they want the 202-house proposal – by developer Avant Homes on the former O’Brien’s salvage site on the Cleadon Lane Industrial Estate, in East Boldon – to be binned.

These include what they claim is an inadequate sewerage system, a lack of forward planning around increased local school places and health facilities and harm to wildlife.

Despite their worries, they say they believe the government’s ongoing nationwide drive to build new homes will see the project approved.

In the latest twist to the near four-year saga, interested parties have been told they must submit relevant documentation to the inspector by October 21.

Opponent Ian Forster, a former Cleadon and East Boldon Conservative councillor, said: “There’s no doubt it will go ahead.

“But the schools are bursting as it is, there’s no plan in place for things such as more health facilities and more school places.

“New homes may be needed but most people realise that we can’t just build left, right and centre.”

He added: “I’d say that a majority of people in this area remain opposed to this scheme.

“Of course, there are those who support it, and they look at the site as it is today and say it is not appealing to the eye.

“But, if you want development, there must be infrastructure in place.”

Steve Lavelle, of Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum, said he was concerned sewage treatment facilities at Whitburn and Hendon, in Sunderland, would be overrun.

He said he also believed the government inspector would “ride roughshod over environmental laws to achieve housing targets”.

Mr Lavelle added: “When it rains at Whitburn, we get discharges at Whitburn and Hendon. Extra sewage from this scheme will be added to these discharges.

“In my experience, the Cleadon project will go-ahead.”

Derbyshire-based Avant Homes wants to build 18 apartments and 184 houses on 6.3 hectares of largely derelict brownfield land.

Despite opposition, council planners approved the scheme in 2023, but it was brought back for further scrutiny earlier this year.

That was due to concerns around foul drainage and changes to local and national planning policy regarding land supply and Green Belt.

At a meeting in March, planners again recommended it be approved, only for it to be thrown out by councillors who cited sewerage issues.

Avant Homes appealed and last month, South Tyneside Council said it was not in a position to defend that action.

It said there was a “significant likelihood that this current appeal would be allowed”.

A planning inspector with the government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, will decide the issue via written representations by interested parties.

Avant Homes would not be drawn on its planning application, with a spokesperson saying only: “We await the outcome of the planning inspector’s decision.”