'Like a red rag to a bull' - Campaigner on why she launched petition against plans for 600 homes

“This,” she says as she stands on True Lovers’ Walk, “is what we’re fighting for.”

The businesswoman has lived in Yarm for 45 years and says she has seen “lots of change”. Plans have come and gone, but one lit a fire of campaigning zeal for the Leven Park resident which shows no signs of dying out.

She says the outline proposals from Taylor Wimpey for up to 600 homes on land east of Holdenfields Farm, Green Lane, Yarm were “like a red rag to a bull. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“When I heard about it I thought, ‘How on earth?’ I just thought, enough’s enough.”

The developer argues it is a “relatively modest” number of two to five-bedroom homes, including up to 20% affordable homes with open space and play areas. But the proposal was swiftly slammed as “utterly barmy” by Stockton West Conservative MP Matt Vickers, and it set off a “real personal battle” for Yvonne.

She says: “It’s already a very, very busy, congested area. If you’re coming up Leven Bank, that’s the main road into Yarm.

“That’s what spurred me on. People living in Yarm have problems getting into the doctors’. The doctors’ are full, the dentists’ are full, the schools are full.

“You’re talking about 600 homes, 1,200 cars, hundreds of children, and everything that’s going to put a strain on the infrastructure.

“This is slap bang in the middle of a busy area already congested with traffic. The Leven Bank bridge has been strengthened twice. If there’s any problems on the A19, Leven Bank and Green Lane is the only diversion. It’s gridlocked.

“They’re proposing to put two sets of traffic lights within a very short distance. I’ve measured it, from Kirk Road to turn right to go into Yarm, between the junction and the traffic lights there’s only room for eight cars.

“That apart from the wildlife that’s in those trees. There’s a badger sett, bats, foxes, deer, all the birds. It’s just awful to think about it.”

She set up a petition to “stop further housing developments in Yarm”, which reads: “I’ve witnessed first-hand how the overdevelopment of our beloved town has strained its resources to breaking point. From the heart of a passionate resident and advocate for Yarm’s sustainable future, I urge you to join me in calling for a halt to the construction of any more housing estates in our town.

“For more than two decades, Yarm has been overwhelmed by numerous new housing developments. These projects, while intended to provide homes for growing populations, have inadvertently placed immense pressure on our local infrastructure.

“We need a comprehensive evaluation of what Yarm realistically can handle, taking into account the capacity of our schools, medical facilities, and transportation networks. Let us protect what makes Yarm special.”

It undoubtedly struck a chord. It has gathered almost 2,800 signatures online, with hundreds more gathered face to face. Meanwhile the Taylor Wimpey plan drew more than 480 comments in objection, and none in support.

“It’s not easy to put in these objections, it takes time. Some of them are three pages long,” marvels Yvonne. “These are knowledgeable people.

“I think people are really, really concerned. It’s not just people piping off about things. They’re genuinely concerned for genuine reasons, about the highways, drainage, the environment.”

Despite building up two businesses in graphic design and dental marketing, the petition was Yvonne’s first foray into public life. “I raised my head above the parapet,” she says. “I thought I could help, give something back.

“I was doing it out of passion, worry and concern. I’m an amateur, I’m just passionate about Yarm. But I’ve learned a lot in the last few months.”

It led to more, as she was elected to Yarm Town Council last month and is now its vice chair. She added: “The whole point of this is get a feeling of what people are feeling in Yarm.”

Now she says she wants to submit the petition to Stockton Council: “There will be a meeting arranged at some point. I want it sooner rather than later.”

Two more major developments have been proposed for the area since the start of the petition – 376 homes at Mount Leven from Miller Homes, and up to 255 homes near Aislaby Road from VW Turnbull. These, along with the Taylor Wimpey scheme adding up to more than 1,200 potential homes, have only added to Yvonne’s concerns.

She adds: “That’s all going to be affecting Yarm, the roads and everything. We’re at bursting point already without all of this.

“People are leaving Yarm because of what’s happening with all the potential new houses. There’s people I know that have put their houses up for sale.

“But we’re up against the government wanting 1.5 million further homes. I think everybody’s just jumped on it, it’s opened the floodgates.

“We don’t want them all in Yarm. We’re fighting to get some balance with everything.

“At least with the Mount Leven one there’s 48% bungalows. Yarm does need bungalows, there’s a shortage. But then there’s another area of land of possible further housing development.

“It’s too much too quick. People are already saying you can’t get through Yarm because of traffic. It’s very worrying.

“Yarm’s a lovely, lovely place to be. We want to maintain all of that and protect that. Yarm is really worth fighting for.”

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “Our application for 600 homes at Green Lane, Yarm is currently being reviewed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. We are working with the council and local stakeholders to consider and address any concerns raised.”