Housing bid for Northumberland farm steading refused for third time

The application to demolish some run-down barns and replace them with three houses at Benridge Moor Farm, to the north-east of Pigdon, first went before the Castle Morpeth Local Area Council in November 2018, where it was recommended for refusal.

But members approved the scheme by six votes to three, with one abstention, after being persuaded by the argument of the applicant’s agents that the proposals would bring a redundant site back into use, get rid of derelict buildings and create houses which reflect the local character.

The new homes would not be the only properties in the area as Benridge Moor is a small hamlet of five dwellings and agricultural buildings, less than 1km away from the Heighley Gate garden-centre site.

But in March last year, the scheme was back for another decision, because, according to the officer report, councillors had not addressed some of the material considerations, such as conflict with green belt purposes and harm to openness.

At this meeting, the committee went into private session for well over half-an-hour to hear about legal advice received by the council before the scheme was turned down by four votes to three, with three abstentions.

However, this decision was subsequently quashed at judicial review, as the local authority had not given the applicant five clear working days’ notice of the meeting.

A fresh decision was therefore required, but the application was refused again, this time by four votes to two, with one abstention, at Monday’s (March 9) meeting of the local area council.

The applicant’s representative told members that ‘inexcusably my client was shut out from a fair decision’ last time and that this was a ‘chance to put things right and avoid an appeal which I believe the council would lose’.

He also disputed the planning officer’s recommended reasons for refusal, which include it being ‘unnecessary and unjustified development in the open countryside’ and ‘an inappropriate form of development in the green belt’, adding that it has ‘near unanimous support from neighbours’.

Nonetheless, Coun Richard Dodd moved refusal, saying: “I think there will be a way forward for this site, but I can’t agree with this way forward.

“The crux is the green belt. It’s a very blunt instrument, but it’s very clear. If we pass this today, every farmstead in the countryside is up for sale.”

On the other side, Coun David Towns said: “I can’t help but go back to where I started on this one.

“The report is very detailed and addresses a lot of the issues, but it still comes out with what I think is a perverse decision.”