Estate of 48 new four, three, and two-bedroom houses in East Sleekburn, near Bedlington, approved by planners

Amethyst Homes can proceed with building The Pastures, a mix of two, three, and four bedroom homes in East Sleekburn on land west of Brock Lane and north of Spring Ville after council officers gave the scheme the go-ahead.

The developer hopes to have the first properties ready by spring 2024 and have completed work by the end of 2025. This will be its second development in the area, following the completion of Sleekburn View.

Richard Bass, development director at Amethyst Homes, said: “It is rewarding for our team to secure approval for The Pastures, which we are confident will prove as popular and successful as Sleekburn View.

“South east Northumberland, and in particular Blyth, has benefitted from significant investment in recent years and buyers are keen to be part of the area’s transformation.

“The introduction of the new rail network in 2024 between Ashington and Newcastle Central Station, which will stop at Blyth, and the site's access to the A189 and coastal routes make it a popular choice for house hunters.

“With this project coming on stream and a number of other potential developments in the pipeline, we are confident we can achieve our ambition of becoming a 200 home a year developer by 2025.”

Five of the homes on the development will be classified as affordable, and a section 106 agreement with the council means Amethyst Homes will contribute £61,854 to Bedlington Academy, £16,046 to local healthcare services, and £29,520 to protecting coastal wildlife.

The estate will feature detached, semi-detached, and terraced homes of seven different designs, as well as an area of open space.

Other conditions on the planning permission include a requirement to build a footpath and pedestrian crossing to allow residents access to the bus stops on Brock Lane.

The vehicle access to the site will be from Brock Lane and must be completed before anyone can move in to the development.

No public comments were received on the planning application.