Residents are opposing plans to fell an old beech tree as part of a wider application to build 450 homes at Skerningham Garden Village.

Skerningham Estates Ltd submitted a hybrid planning application for the initial phase of the development, which would involve the felling of the tree known locally as the Barmpton Beech.

Resident Judith Murray said the tree has stood there for more than 100 years and is "very much loved not only by residents of Whinfield but those who visit from other areas".

Tree protection status

The Barmpton Beech has a tree preservation order (TPO) due to the significant impact it has on the community and its environmental impact.

Murray said the beech could not be replaced by new saplings. She said: "There is no guarantee 1,000 saplings will survive and who will look after these saplings to make sure they survive? Once development has been completed will the developers be there to make sure these trees survive? We as residents want to respect, protect and preserve this tree."

Developer and council position

A spokesperson for Skerningham Estates said the loss of the beech needed to be considered against the benefits of the project and committed to providing 1,200 new trees.

The spokesperson said the loss of the beech tree as part of access arrangements on Barmpton Lane is "the council's highways department's preferred solution".

A Darlington council spokesperson said the proposal to fell the beech was part of a wider planning application which has not yet been determined. They said: "The council has received numerous comments in response to the consultation exercise carried out in connection with the application and these will be considered when the application is determined in due course".

The wider scheme

Up to 1,650 houses and facilities, such as a GP surgery and schools, could be built at the village by 2036, with a further 4,500 homes planned on the site in the future according to the developers. Of the 450 proposed homes in the initial part of the village, 90 would be categorised as "affordable".