South Tyneside Council Rejects Plan To Build on Fellgate Greenbelt
South Tyneside Council, which convened at South Shields Town Hall on Thursday, ruled against proposals for plans to build over 1,200 new homes in the Fellgate greenbelt area. The meeting concluded with a vote in which 23 councillors supported the plan, while 27 voted against it.
This decision comes five months after South Tyneside Council initially rejected the development proposal. In the lead-up to the meeting, Fellgate residents also organised a petition, gathering 3,000 signatures in opposition to the plan.
Speaking to The Shields Gazette, South Tyneside Council’s lead member for economic growth, Councillor Margaret Meling said:
“A local plan will provide a framework for where new homes, businesses, shops, and leisure amenities will be built up until 2040. We as residents can help shape this; we can influence the type of development we want and help to make sure there is the necessary infrastructure, such as schools, health facilities, and transport, in place to meet our future needs.”
Ahead of the meeting, the local pressure group ‘Save Our Fellgate Greenbelt’ staged a protest outside South Shields Town Hall.
Dave Green, the founder of the pressure group, said, “My thoughts prior to the meeting on the day remained positive, as I knew we had given the campaign maximum effort and I knew we had the support of many local councillors, including two of the Fellgate Councillors, Geraldine Kilgour (Labour) and Tony Roberts (STAG).”
He adds, “There was elation during the first vote on the local plan when it was rejected on September 5th 2024. Residents knew it would come back but not as soon as it did, along with the fact that it was the exact same plan.”
Concerns were raised in the meeting in relation to whether the proposed housing would be affordable, in which Fellgate resident Karen Hunter said: “95% of the housing they’re planning to build is executive, which isn’t affordable to the average working person; it’s primarily prestige houses. The way I see it, it isn’t so much about affordability, but about who can pay the higher price.”
Citizens Assembly South Tyneside Treasurer Tracy Stephenson said: “They somehow recategorised the green belt into a grey belt. The government has not defined “grey belt,” so you can’t decide on something when you don’t know what it is. The truth is, they don’t care about the environment. They could use the brownfield sites available, but then that would mean they spend more money, something they aren’t willing to do.”
The push for new housing aligns with election promises made by the Labour government, which aims to build 1.5 million new homes nationwide, designating housing quotas to local councils to see this target materialise.
However, because the plan delegated to Fellgate has now been rejected, the proposed plans will not go ahead for the forseeable future.
David Greene, after the result, said, “I’m very pleased with the result, but I know the challenge to the Fellgate Green Belt will be back within a matter of months.”
