300 sign Lib Dem petition to stop executive houses plan

Liberal Democrats have collected 300 signatures on their petition opposing Labour’s plans to build up to 582 executive houses on Dunston Hill.

In a long running battle, Gateshead Labour Councillors  agreed to take large swathes of land out of the greenbelt so that executive houses could be built. Land at Ryton, Crawcrook, Streetgate and Dunston Hill, amongst other areas, have been stripped of their greenbelt protection and on some of the sites, the developers’ bulldozers have already moved in.

Now, developers are chomping at the bit to develop land to the south of Whickham Highway at Dunston Hill.

Lib Dem campaigners Kevin McClurey, Jonathan Wallace and Peter Maughan have led the campaign to defeat the plans.

They launched a petition recently when a planning application was submitted for up to 582 houses on the site.

“When Labour agreed the Local Plan for Gateshead, we fought to have brownfield sites used for housing instead of areas of the greenbelt,” said Kevin.

“Labour used their majority on the council to force through the plan which stated the Dunston Hill site should be used for 550 homes.

“The recent application goes beyond this number. We have argued all along that the roads can’t cope with existing traffic, never mind the extra that will be generated by 582 new executive houses. There are no plans for additional public services such as schools and family doctors. These plans will make the area burst at the seems.”

When the application comes before the Council’s planning committee in the near future, Cllr Peter Maughan will be putting the case for the house-building proposals to be rejected.

Photo above: Kevin McClurey, Jonathan Wallace and Peter Maughan: 300 people so far have signed their petition against Labour’s plans to build up to 582 executive houses at Dunston Hill.