Plan for new home in Alnmouth refused by council

An application by Paul Edwards, owner of Westlea B&B on Riverside Road, was refused by Northumberland County Council.

The proposal for a detached house on a steeply sloping site behind his property had been recommended for approval by planning officers but was rejected by the North Northumberland Local Area Council planning committee.

Objections had been raised by Alnmouth Parish Council and 16 local residents, with concerns about access via the Northumberland Street entrance as well as parking and congestion issues in the area.

The Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership also raised concerns over the siting, scale and massing of the proposed house and the subsequent loss of one of the few remaining green spaces within the village.

Planning officers had said the proposal would sit well within the street scene and was not on a prominent site.

But a notice of refusal states: ‘Due to its design, scale, massing and loss of the burgage plot, the proposed development would not preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Alnmouth Conservation Area.’

It adds: ‘By virtue of the position of the balcony at first floor level, the proposal has a detrimental impact upon the residential amenity of the neighbouring properties on Garden Terrace in terms of overlooking and loss of privacy. It is therefore considered that the proposals are contrary to Policy QOP 1 of the Northumberland Local Plan.’