Go-ahead for homes on Northumberland fire-station site

Haydon Bridge Fire Station was the main victim of controversial cuts to the county’s fire and rescue service in 2016 as it sought to save £500,000 from its budget on top of £1.5million in the previous two years.

The site was developed in the 1960s, but has sat vacant since the closure and the county council is now selling it to developer Bradley Homes.

The application, for three detached and two semi-detached properties, all four-bedroom, off Station Road, was unanimously approved by Tynedale Local Area Council at its meeting on Tuesday.

Haydon Parish Council had raised concerns over the materials, flooding and parking, and the committee members shared some of these worries, but following a number of questions, they agreed to go with the recommendation of the planning officer.

Coun Ian Hutchinson said: “The site’s been there a long time, it is redundant now since the fire station did close, which is unfortunate, but it has closed. It will tidy the place up dramatically, it’s extra housing coming into Haydon Bridge and there’s no reasons to warrant refusal.”

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, proposals to demolish modern farm buildings, build extensions to the farmhouse and the conversion of barns and outbuildings at West Unthank Farm, near Haltwhistle, were approved by the councillors.

The scheme sparked plenty of debate and, although the planning officer had recommended the application at the grade II-listed steading for refusal, members decided to support it. The changes had also been backed by Plenmeller with Whitfield Parish Council.

Members gave the go-ahead to a bid to create roads and pitches for caravans at Border Forest Caravan Park, on the A68 at Rochester, despite an objection from Rochester and Byrness Parish Council.

The change of agricultural land to tourism use for the siting of lodges already had planning permission and this new scheme had reduced to 39 caravans from 49.

A listed building application to replace the windows at the Sele First School in Hexham was also given the nod.

Ben O'Connell, Local Democracy Reporting Service