Tristan Learoyd is a councillor in Marske, and one of the staunchest opponents of the development plans.
Mr Learoyd says: “The council benefits from these developments – 812 new three- and four-bedroom houses will earn them heaps in council tax. These are not affordable homes, which could accommodate young people. These are big detached houses, well out of reach for local people and those on average wages.
“Many people buying these homes are moving up from the South after getting priced out. I’ve got nothing against those people, because if I were in that position, I would do the same.
“You can get a better quality of life, and also some money, because many of these people may not have a pension pot. So they can automatically generate one by selling up, and moving somewhere cheaper.”
One of Marske’s two GP surgeries closed in 2017, and school places are increasingly difficult to come by.
“Our services are already overstretched. It’s really difficult to get a GP appointment – you wait for ages, and need to go to the next town,” Mr Learoyd says. “The schools are also at capacity, and a lot of the people moving into these big houses are going to have kids – where are they going to go?”
Last year, one of the site’s developers, Taylor Wimpey, announced plans to build a further 114 homes on a nearby site in Marske. While the council initially rejected the plans, the developer brought an appeal against this decision. The council backed down, citing significant costs to fight it and low likelihood of success.
