³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Plans to build homes on greenbelt near a Grade I listed monument are being opposed by campaigners and councillors.

A development plan for Sunderland outlines proposals for up to 400 houses on land near Penshaw Monument, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A public consultation on the plan ends on 27 July.

Councillor Geoff Walker, from Penshaw, said there seemed to be "enough objection in this area to make a case for it to be withdrawn from the plan".

"There's genuine interest in the local plan and people don't want to see the locality changed, people feel it would spoil the area if they built around it," he said.

He also wanted more done to bring thousands of empty homes in the city back into use, he said.

Councils' local development plans are used to set planning policy for future years.

If approved, Sunderland's document could result in more than 13,000 new homes being built.

Sunderland City Council said 95% of development would be in "existing urban areas or on brownfield sites, with minimum impact on greenbelt land".