Development proposed on Green Belt

12/20/2025

ELG Planning is asking for your views on a new development north of Marsden Primary School for 205 houses. This engagement is led by the developer, with an application to be submitted at a later date. The area is in Green Belt and makes an important contribution to our local landscape. The sewage system is still over capacity, releasing sewage into the sea at Whitburn, and 200 more houses will make that worse. The Forum has responded, but we encourage all local resident to put in individual representations. The deadline is 21 December.

The Forum has sent a strong objection in principle, based on that the harm arising from the location of the site, its Green Belt designation, existing infrastructure constraints and the permanent loss of the unique character of Whitburn as a rural and coastal village cannot be outweighed or mitigated.

Our vice chair has also started a petition to protect Green Belt, which will be discussed in South Tyneside Council's cabinet in January. It already has over 1,000 votes, but every extra vote counts! Please sign here by end of December. Note there is no need to donate any money.

Find out how to submit comments: https://elgplanning.co.uk/projects/mill-lane-whitburn/

We expect the developer to submit a planning application next year, after which a formal consultation will start.

1 Comment

Gillian

12/20/2025 10:13:17 am

They will easily be able to bat away any concerns about things like GP, doctor, schools etc as people moving to the houses will do what they do now - drive to their GP, doctor, dentist, kids school etc. The people buying these homes will have 2/3 cars per house and will already jump into their cars where they live now to access these services. I myself have lived in Whitburn 8 years and my doctor/dentist is a drive away, and my daughters school was in a part of South Shields we had to drive her to as the bus didn’t go there. So I think that argument would probably be a waste, as driving places to these people will already be perfectly normal.

The planners will also be able to come up with some rubbish from N Water about the sewage, like they have done with the Whitburn Lodge plot. So I don’t think the sewage argument is going to hold much sway either, as much as we know it’s a problem. N Water lie through their teeth about everything and it’s worked for them so far. Not even Bob Latimers tireless campaigning has been able to fix things.

What we need to focus on is the loss of countryside and green belt, which is undisputed and cannot be whitewashed over. It is a fact. We are in a semi rural area and most people moved here for just that. I don’t want to live in a town, I moved here to get away from town living (previously being in South Shields).

People also say ‘well your home was once built on a field’. Yes, and just where does it end? It has to have an end, a point not crossed. Just because my home was built on a field 75 years ago, does not mean all fields should now be built on. When my home was built, there was still absolutely heaps and heaps of countryside throughout this country. Thanks to all the new build developments in the last 10 years, we are seeing green land disappear like it wasn’t 75 years ago when my home was built. You only have to travel up the A19 in north Tyneside and the A1 in south Northumberland to see the devastation before your eyes of the countryside being torn up and thousands upon thousands of new builds destructing the countryside. This is what they want to do in Whitburn - be warned, if this development goes ahead, it will not be long before all the land adjacent to lizard lane gets built on. The hendersons have shown by giving up this field they care nothing for this community. It will not be long before whoever owns the fields adjacent to lizard lane will be gone too, whether it’s the hendersons or another farmer who owns them.

This village is being sold out and I am sad to say I don’t think there is anything we can do to stop it.
We are not in a financial position to move for some years yet, we feel trapped and saddened that an area we once loved living in will be changed beyond all recognition with no power to stop it.

If the local Labour council and the national Labour government have their way (and I have voted for both my whole life, never realising they hated the countryside!!), then all of cleadon hills would be built on and there wouldn’t be a blade of grass left in this county let alone any fields. They have ripped up rules about the green belt and could not give a toss.

NIMBY is a phrase you see thrown around - well, I guess I’m one of them. Except I’m not saying build on another green area. I don’t want any other area or community with beauty like ours to go through this either.

NEWS