Latest appeal dismissed for housing at popular Northumberland development spot

The popular stretch for development to the south of Morpeth has seen numerous bids for new homes, but the majority in recent years have been turned down and then dismissed on appeal where they have been challenged.

Most recently, this was the case for an outline bid for four houses plus a new access road on land north of 31 Station Road, which was lodged with the county council in May 2020, before planning officers refused the application under delegated powers in July 2020.

This was based on a series of reasons – development in the open countryside; inappropriate development in the green belt; harmful impact on the rural character of the area, open countryside and green belt; insufficient information to assess the significance of any archaeological heritage assets; insufficient information to assess impacts upon ecology; and insufficient information to assess impacts on hydrology and flood risk.

This was appealed and while planning inspector David Cross did not uphold all of the reasons for refusal, he did conclude that the proposal ‘would be inappropriate development within the green belt’ and ‘would lead to moderate harm to the openness of the green belt’.

His decision notice added: ‘The substantial weight to be given to green-belt harm, as well as the significant weight to the harm arising from the location of development, lack of appropriate evidence and the moderate harm to openness, are not clearly outweighed by the other considerations sufficient to demonstrate very special circumstances.’

In terms of schemes which are yet to be decided, an outline application for four houses on land west of 35 Station Road was lodged with the county council in December 2020, a resubmission of a plan for six properties on the site which was previously refused.

A bid for five three-bedroom bungalows on land east of Furrow Grove and next to 30 Station Road was submitted the same month – again a plot where a slightly larger proposal was previously rejected and, in this case, dismissed on appeal.

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