Homeowner faces move after bypass plan approved

A homeowner, whose garden would be metres from a planned bypass, has said she may have to move after initial proposals were approved.

The road is part of the next phase of the Integra 61 development in Bowburn, County Durham, and will link the industrial site to the A177 north of the village.

Lynne Hodgson, whose home would be impacted, said a couple of residents had already left and she was also considering it despite being "extremely sad" after she moved to live in a "rural setting".

Speaking after outline planning consent was granted on Wednesday, James Taylor, regional director of developer Citrus, said the expansion would help create "one of the region's largest employment destinations".

The plans are said to support up to 3,000 jobs, as up to three million sq ft (278,709 sq m) of units for storage, manufacturing and distribution are created.

They will be built behind the Amazon fulfilment centre at the Integra 61 site.

But the accompanying road will be just 10m (32ft) away from some nearby gardens on the Grange estate.

"We are seriously thinking about moving, not in the short term, but a few years down the line because we moved here for the rural setting and I think other neighbours are of a similar view, which is a shame because we've got such a nice community," Hodgson said.

She said the community was "frustrated" and "deeply disappointed".

"We think there's other alternative routes that can be explored.

"We're not against economic growth and not against job aspirations. We're all for that, but we just think this road is going to adversely impact our residential amenity."

In nearby Shincliffe, the road has sparked concerns over increased traffic on the A177, which travels through the village.

Shincliffe Parish Council chairman Stephen Ashfield said while it was not opposed to the scheme in principle, there were worries about its impact on traffic.

"This development will bring a significant increase in vehicle movements through the parish, and we remain concerned that the full impact on local roads has not been properly assessed," Ashfield said.

"Part of the new road will connect directly into the A177 within Shincliffe Parish, meaning the effects will be felt by our residents in terms of traffic levels, congestion and road safety.

Gary Cutter, from nearby High Shincliffe, said he was concerned about the A177 absorbing traffic from both the new road and proposed housing schemes in the area.

"It's a lot potentially happening and it's very concerning," he said.

Developer Citrus Durham has said it understood the concerns and has worked to mitigate the impacts.

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