Extension of coastal village estate recommended for approval

Cussins wants to build more homes to the north of its recent Creighton Place development in Embleton.

Alnwick-based Cussins was behind the recently-constructed 39 properties in Embleton, known as Creighton Place, which are ‘fully sold and substantially completed’.

Earlier this year, the company submitted an application for another 16 dwellings, to be accessed from Creighton Place, with a decision due at Thursday’s meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Council.

The proposals are for nine bungalows – four of which would be affordable – and seven two-storey houses.

A section 106 legal agreement would be signed to secure the properties as principal residences in perpetuity, so they could not be used as second homes or holiday lets.

The bid has attracted 46 objections from residents as well as from Embleton Parish Council, whose chief concern is the access for heavy construction traffic.

The parish council says that Station Road is unsuitable for this traffic, but going through the existing estate would be ‘dangerous and difficult’.

However, the planning officer’s report says that ‘while this is acceptable as a temporary measure, the applicant is exploring the option of forming an access from Station Road’. A condition would prevent this becoming a permanent second access.

A report submitted with the application explains that a public consultation event was held in April at which a number of concerns were raised, including traffic impact, sewer capacity, flooding and the impact on the privacy/outlook of residents of Creighton Place.

The council’s highways and flooding teams have not raised any objections.

A condition on the approval will require a ‘gateway feature’ at the northern end of the village, which is likely to include an interactive speed sign.

The layout has been changed to move new housing further away and a ‘landscaped tree belt’ between the new development and Creighton Place is proposed.

As well as the principal occupancy restriction and the four affordable homes, if approved, the section 106 agreement would also secure a 10-year management plan for the landscape buffer, a contribution of £48,000 for education and £9,600 for coastal mitigation contribution.

Ben O'Connell, Local Democracy Reporting Service