Footpath fears fail to derail new homes in Longframlington

Road-safety concerns failed to derail a housing scheme in Longframlington, which was given the green light this week.
Getting to the centre of Longframlington from the new houses was a major concern. 
Picture by Jane ColtmanGetting to the centre of Longframlington from the new houses was a major concern. 
Picture by Jane Coltman
Getting to the centre of Longframlington from the new houses was a major concern. Picture by Jane Coltman

The application, for nine detached dwellings at North End Farm, on the northern edge of the village, was approved, with one abstention, at Tuesday’s meeting of the county council’s planning committee.

A key concern was how residents of the new homes would get into the village centre given that the C106 road has no pavements.

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A condition attached to the approval, which was amended late on, means that the applicant must create a footpath from the site to the point where another stretch of footpath is required to be created as part of another planning application, not as far as the A697 junction as originally suggested.

Questioned about this by councillors, Graham Fairs, from the authority’s highways department, said: “It’s not ideal and it’s acknowledged as such, but I’m not sure as a reason for refusal that it would be sustainable.”

Concerns were also raised about a proposed connection from the site to an existing public right of way, but Mr Fairs said that this was envisaged as ‘more a recreational route than one people would use regularly to get to the village’.

Earlier, the meeting had heard objections from neighbouring landowner David King and Graham Fremlin, from the parish council, who said that the ‘increase in housing is making the village unsustainable’.