Work underway on redevelopment of former jetty into new homes in Berwick

Berwick-based construction company GMC received planning permission for 30 new homes on a former dock at Tweedmouth in 2022.

The dock was constructed before 1900 for the local fishing community. It was also used as a search and rescue base by the RAF during the Second World War.

Later, the site saw use as a holiday camp and an export base for aggregate, before being cleared in the late 1990s. GMC purchased the site in 2017, amid a lengthy, seven-year battle to secure planning permission.

A previous application for 35 homes was rejected on the grounds of the height of the development.

Director Neil Craig said: “It’s a site with a long history. We’re on site now.

“I’ve grown up and lived in Berwick most of my life. All the people who work for GMC grew up here and lived in the area.

“We also use mainly local suppliers for everything.

“People are coming here looking for a bit of the good life, and Berwick offers that. It’s got everything you need.”

Mr Craig said the properties are using ground-source heat pumps to improve their low energy credentials.

Speaking at the planning meeting in 2022, Mr Craig said his company – which was set up by his father in 1976 – “aim to provide homes of character and special interest”.

The proposals were unanimously approved by councillors. Conservative cabinet member Guy Renner-Thompson said it showed the town was “moving forward” and that it would not have been built even five years previously.

Construction has started after GMC completed two other developments in the town. The company refurbished the former court house and jail in the town centre. The building, which is Grade II listed and within the conservation area, dates back to 1850.

The company restored the building and divided into four homes and one apartment within the former hay loft over the stables.

At nearby Spittal, the company was also behind four luxury homes on the cliffs overlooking the popular beach.