Plans to build new homes on land in a Tyne & Wear village have been submitted for approval.

The scheme, which could see development by house builder Forric Homes on a 1.03 ha plot on Grey Belt land – land previously within the Green Belt – to the south of the A694 in Rowlands Gill, follows a public consultation and pre-planning work completed by North East planning firm, Hedley Planning.

If the proposals get the green light, it would pave the way for 14 high quality three, four and five bedroomed detached residential properties including three affordable dwellings available to homeowners as discounted market sale properties.

New access roads, landscaping and tree planting, dedicated parking spaces and visitor parking, open spaces with a landscape buffer zone to the east of the site, will also feature as part of the plans, which will ensure the proposed development meets the Grey Belt ‘Golden Rules’.

Once complete, the project will deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain – an approach to land development and management that ensures habitats for wildlife are left in a better state than they were before development.

Seen by planners as a boost for local housing stock, the proposed scheme comes as the Government continues to push for the delivery of new homes to meet the long-term housing shortage in the North of England.

Plans have been submitted by Joe Ridgeon, Director at Hedley Planning, who said: “This submission follows a public consultation and comes as we continue to see a pressing need for more high-quality family homes in the region.

“The plans reflect a development that meets community needs, with a mix of property types and sizes to provide options for residents who are at varying stages of the property ladder.”

Tom Forster, Managing Director of Forric Homes, added: “As a local family business, with a workforce drawn from the surrounding area, this project in Rowlands Gill is particularly meaningful to us.

“It’s a community we know well and care deeply about, and we’re excited to be progressing this planning application and, subject to approval, bringing the development to life.”

If the proposals get the green light this August, construction work could follow after with the first homes available in winter 2027.