Councillors have given the green light to 'impressive' plans for 42 flats on the former site of bungalows in Newcastle.

Aspire Housing's proposals for the socially rented scheme on land at St Luke's Close, in Silverdale, where 14 bungalows were demolished in 2023, were approved by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's planning committee.

The development will consist of a three-storey block of flats, and three smaller two-storey buildings. Silverdale Parish Council and a number of local residents had objected to the plans, criticising the scale of the main building and saying the site was being 'overdeveloped'.

But members of the planning committee were satisfied that enough had been done to mitigate the impact of the development. Paul Latham, a development manager at Aspire Housing, told the committee that none of the statutory consultees had raised major concerns with the plans.

He said: "The site is currently vacant and it presents a logical, sustainable opportunity for us to bring forward much-needed affordable housing in Silverdale. We're confident that the scheme will deliver a high quality residential development which satisfies all policy provisions with respect to the design and layout, and respects the amenity of the residential properties that bound the site."

Henryk Adamczuk, chair of Silverdale Parish Council, who spoke against the application, raised concerns over the increase socially rented flats in Silverdale.

He said: "Some people – developers, planners, councillors – might think that's a good idea. But we think it's not ideal in the chosen location. The net effect of two socially rented schemes close together will have an impact on the overall character at the centre of Silverdale.

"The tight location and the raised density will result in accommodation which exceeds the thresholds of the recognised space standards. It amounts to a hemmed in environment unlikely to promote wellbeing. The extra floor detracts from the overall residential character in Silverdale's historic core, and we object to that."

Mr Latham said that the flats' bedrooms would meet 100 per cent of the nationally described space standards.

The development will include 35 parking spaces, and some planning committee members raised concerns over whether there could be issues over parking in future, as has happened nearby. But planning officers said the number of spaces was considered sufficient, and that Aspire would be required to produce a parking management plan as a planning condition.

Councillor Richard Gorton said: "This is a strong application. There are two really strong points – the development is one a site that was developed previously, and it brings in more rented accommodation which is also very important. There's been quite a lot of effort to mitigate the consequences of the development for the local environment."

Cllr Gorton asked about the impact of the three-storey building on nearby homes. Planning officer Rachel Killeen told the committee that there would be 'substantial' tree coverage, and that the distance between the proposed building and existing properties was sufficient for residents to have an acceptable level of amenity.

Councillor Andrew Fear, who proposed for the application to be approved, said: "This is an impressive application. Looking at what was there before, and what is proposed, it's hard not to see this as a planning gain. The properties that were there before were pretty awful, frankly."

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