Controversial plans for access road to new homes in Cramlington to be decided on by councillors

Developer Barratt Homes will soon complete 90 new homes on land south west of Cramlington as part of a 715-property housing estate being built in conjunction with Keepmoat Homes.

Original plans involved road access to Barratt’s houses from the development’s primary road, which joins up with Beacon Lane. However, neighbouring Keepmoat properties on this route will still be under construction by the time Barratt’s homes are complete.

The developer says access through the construction site will be unsafe and has submitted a planning application to build a temporary access road from Langdale Drive, to the north.

This application was heard by councillors at a meeting in November 2023 but a decision was not reached, and it was decided a ruling would be issued at a later date following a site visit.

That visit will take place on Wednesday, January 31 prior to a meeting of the Cramlington, Bedlington, and Seaton Valley Local Area Planning Committee to decide the fate of the proposal.

32 members of the public have objected to the plans, as has Cramlington Town Council, citing nuisance to Langdale Drive residents, road safety concerns, and fears the temporary route will become permanent.

Speaking at the November meeting, ward councillor Barry Flux said the proposed two year limit on use of the road is “not worth the paper it is written on” and that “good faith has been thrown back in the face of residents.”

Committee member, Cllr Mark Swinburn, also indicated he would lean towards refusing the plans, saying they had issues he was “not comfortable with.”

However, council planning officers are recommending the plans are approved. Planners’ report on the application said: “The Keepmoat site is currently heavily under construction and is not safe for members of the public to walk or drive through.

“The anticipated negative impacts of the temporary access therefore need to be considered in the planning balance of any benefits the access will bring.

“The concerns around the need for the access off Langdale Drive have been addressed during this report and none of them have shown to be so significant that the proposal should be refused.”