Ambitious plan for community purchase of Rothbury Estate being sold by Duke of Northumberland's son

The estate was put up for sale earlier this month by Lord Max Percy, the son of the Duke of Northumberland.

The land, which includes the Simonside Hills, has been in the Percy family for around 700 years.

Cllr Steven Bridgett, who represents the Rothbury ward, is hoping to persuade Northumberland County Council to register the land as a community asset, giving community groups time to raise the required funding.

He said: “We don’t have the legislation in place like they do in Scotland nor the funding that the Scottish government offer towards those kind of community buyouts. But, the fact still remains the land is not just of local importance, it is of regional and national importance.

“Our Neolithic ancestors carved their drawings into those rocks and built their Iron Age hill forts in what is one of the best concentrations of both monuments to be found anywhere in the country.

“I really do worry what may happen to this area if we end up with someone who wants to restrict access, remove car parks (or make them pay), completely plant the area up with commercial forestry or look to develop it. Whoever buys it will want a return on their investment. It is for those reasons that I think we have got to try.

“If I’m honest, I think the task may well be insurmountable in the time frame we have but if we don’t try, as a community, I think we may regret it.”

He has asked anyone who is interested in being part of the campaign – particularly those with expertise in areas such as farming and writing funding applications – to get in touch.

Parish councils in Rothbury, Whitton and Tosson, Brinkburn and Hesley Hurst and Rothley and Hollinghill have also been asked to request the estate be listed as a community asset.

Northumberland County Council takes up to eight weeks to decide on nominations for community assets. However, the owner can ask for an appeal.

A council spokesman said: “The council is aware that the land is being sold and will assess any application received from the community for the land to be declared an Asset of Community Value.”