Plans approved for

The reserved matters application, for land north of the B6348 Weetwood Road, was unanimously approved by the North Northumberland Local Area Council on June 20 and follows an outline permission granted in 2016.

Ascent Homes, the house-building arm of the county council-owned company Advance Northumberland, is now set to start next month on the construction of 27 two-bedroom bungalows, 10 three-bedroom bungalows, 10 two-bedroom terraced houses, 19 three-bedroom homes (all but one semi-detached) and six four-bedroom detached properties.

Seven of the two-bedroom bungalows and four of the terraced dwellings would be affordable homes.

Approval was moved by Coun Jeff Watson, who said: “I’m happy to see the affordable housing and the right affordable housing; we don’t need four-bedroom affordable homes, we need smaller ones.”

Coun Trevor Thorne added: “I do find this an attractive application.

“When have we had an application before us with such as high proportion of bungalows?

“Developers won’t build them because they are expensive, but they are attractive for elderly people and they also make good starter homes.

“I think we are really delivering for the community of Wooler.

“As regards design, I find it a little bit lacking, but that’s just a personal view.”