Developer loses appeal over plans for homes at Northumberland coastal spot in Low Hauxley

Plans for five new homes on the Northumberland coast to the south of Amble have been turned down by a planning inspector.
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In January 2020, we reported that an appeal for non-determination – not dealing with the application quickly enough – had been filed in relation to an outline bid for five properties on land north of Beachside and Silvercarrs Caravan Park, in Low Hauxley, south of Amble.

The scheme, from applicant Mr N Thompson, was lodged back in November 2018, but the council said it was being held up by a lack of archaeological information and the need for a section 106 legal agreement to secure ecological mitigation if the development went ahead at the site.

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The decision was then taken out of the hands of the local authority and passed to a Government-appointed planning inspector, who dismissed the appeal.

Low Hauxley, near the site of the proposed developmentLow Hauxley, near the site of the proposed development
Low Hauxley, near the site of the proposed development

T J Burnham, in the decision notice, set out that the main issues were ‘the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area’ and ‘whether the proposal provides sufficient information to enable a determination to be made in relation to any impact on biodiversity and archaeological interests’.

On the first issue, it was concluded that ‘the proposal would have a significant detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the area’, with the inspector noting that it ‘would result in built development intruding into the countryside, which would detract from the rural landscape and countryside setting which is integral to the character of Low Hauxley’.

On biodiversity, the notice says: ‘I consider there to be a reasonable likelihood that protected species could be present in the area and as a result could be affected by the development.’

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It adds that surveys should be carried out before any planning permission is granted, with a similar conclusion being drawn in relation to ‘an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation’ taking place due to the site being ‘located in a wider archaeological landscape containing a number of prehistoric sites’.

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