Public Consultation: Proposed Residential Development, Chilton Phase 3 and Phase 4

Following recent consultation, Avant Homes North East welcome your feedback on their proposals for a Hybrid Planning Application including Phase 3, Full Planning permission for 148 (red line) – which you may already be aware of, and Phase 4, Outline Planning permission for up to 400 dwellings (blue line). You will have likely received previous correspondence in relation to Phase 3 development – Land South of Lyndhurst Road.

Since election in July 2024, the Government have sought to address the nation’s pressing housing crisis and have committed to building 1.5m homes. This provision is to be delivered across the country, with each Council requiring the delivery of new housing accordingly. As such, further to recent correspondence you may have had, additional consideration for further home provision on land north of the A689 (known as Phase 4) is sought from the public.

Durham County Council are only able to demonstrate a 3.7-year housing land supply, this is significantly less than the required 5-year housing land supply. The proposed development would make a valuable contribution to meeting the significant shortfall in housing delivery.

Since 1996, Avant Homes have been dedicated to delivering high-quality new build homes which are built to the highest standard. Avant Homes are a 5-star house builder and have independently recognised by their customers in the Home Builders Federation annual customer satisfaction survey for providing quality customer care and excellent build quality.

The Proposal

The proposals relate to a Hybrid Planning Application for Phase 3, circa 148 homes, and Phase 4, up to 400 homes, including:

  • Inclusivity through delivering a range of energy efficient house types and bedrooms with high quality design features, designed to meet the needs of all the community;
  • Provision of open spaces and interactive play equipment alongside substantial structural landscaping including habitat enhancement of at least 10% on site;
  • New footpath connections to provide active travel connectivity for both existing and new residents;
  • A multi-tenure scheme which can deliver at least 10% Affordable Housing (for home ownership and/or rent);
  • The provision of adaptable and accessible homes including bungalows; and
  • Dedicated off-street parking with electric vehicle charging points for every house.

Highways

Vehicle access to be delivered via Bradbury Way, not from the A689.

Detailed highways assessments are currently being prepared and will accompany the Planning Application. We will work closely with the relevant authorities throughout the determination process to secure a safe and acceptable access.

As part of the formal planning application submission, a Planning Application Assessment Toolkit will be undertaken, this will allow the governing body Active Travel England to assess the site through an Active Travel Plan. Internal and external connectivity will be assessed to further improve active travel provision. This process will promote the inclusion of placemaking features to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling on the site and the surrounding area.

The proposal will comply with all relevant vehicle and cycle parking standards.

Ecology

Design principles will focus on the retention of the higher value ecological habitats present on site. Distinct areas will be created for nature within the scheme which focus on encouraging a range of local and notable species into the site. Ecological and Biodiversity Net Gain assessments will be carried out in support of the application.

A detailed landscaping scheme is currently being prepared to ensure the development provides suitable areas of open green space for the public both within the site and its boundaries.

Flooding

The site is situated within Flood Zone 1, where there is the lowest probability of flooding. Despite this, a Flood Risk Assessment has been carried out and will be submitted as part of a future planning application to ensure that there is no further increased risk to flooding to the surrounding areas.

Online Survey

In order for us to gather public responses, please access the survey link below to provide your feedback to proposals. The online survey will be collated and shared with the design team who will then address matters accordingly. Please note that result will remain anonymous and no personal data, other than postcodes, will be stored in line with GDPR.

Link to online survey

We respectfully request that feedback be returned by 12 December 2025.

Alternatively, you can provide feedback by: