An appeal in relation to an application for new homes on the site of a former railway station in north Northumberland has been turned down by a planning inspector.

Nationwide Design and Development submitted plans last November to build four new dwellings on land west of Velvet Hall Station, near Berwick.

The site occupies part of the yards of the former station on the Tweedmouth to Kelso branch line which closed to passengers in July 1955 and to freight traffic in March 1965.

The applicant was aiming to get planning permission to build the homes on the northern side of the site, accessed from the A698, and a statement by Ferguson Planning on its behalf said that the “landscape impact of the proposal has been assessed to be minor” and the bid “is in general accordance” with the relevant local and national planning policies.

The proposed development site at Velvet Hall. Picture: Google.

placeholder image — The proposed development site at Velvet Hall. Picture: Google.

However, it was refused by Northumberland County Council planning officers under delegated powers.

Nationwide Design and Development then lodged an appeal, but this has been dismissed by planning inspector H Jones.

The report explaining why this decision was made includes the following: “As the proposal would harm the significance of the former Velvet Hall railway station as a non-designated heritage asset, the proposal would conflict with Policy ENV7 of the Northumberland Local Plan.

“Given the asset’s heritage interest, and the particular effects the proposal would have upon it, I find the degree of harm that would be caused to it would be quite considerable.

“Although there is no bus stop infrastructure in place, the appellant submits that buses do stop on the A698 within 40m of the site. However, I have been provided with very limited information on the frequency of the services.

“In such circumstances, I cannot conclude that bus services in the area provide a credible and practical alternative to private vehicles.

“In the vicinity of the site, the A698 does not include dedicated footpaths nor streetlights. The speed limit is 60mph. As a result, it provides a somewhat hostile environment for pedestrians.

“Therefore, future occupiers of the proposed development would be likely to be heavily reliant on the use of a private motor vehicle.”