Work clear to start on 85-home development in Northumberland

Bellway Homes’ reserved matters application for Netherton Park, to the east of the A1 between Stannington and Stannington Station Road, was unanimously approved at the Monday, February 8, meeting of the Castle Morpeth Local Area Council.

Already benefiting from outline permission, the scheme relates to a site formerly used for children’s residential accommodation and the proposed properties would wrap around Kyloe House secure unit – which remains operational – to the north and the east.

The housing mix would consist of six two-bedroom homes, 23 three-bedroom houses, 52 four-bedroom properties and four five-bedroom dwellings, and the site would include a multi-use games area (MUGA).

The proposals were recommended for approval, but had sparked objections from Netherton Park Residents’ Association (NPRA), Stannington Parish Council and 30 neighbours.

In a written statement to the virtual meeting, NPRA said that its concerns about access and safety ‘remain unresolved’.

They understood that the access had been agreed as part of the outline approval, but claimed that ‘the safety of all users will be seriously compromised’.

In its submission, the parish council said that it had objected to the original scheme back in 2014 and that while most issues have been dealt with since then, some remain more than six years later.

It added that it supported NPRA over its access concerns, with both organisations having questions about the changes agreed by planning officers in 2019 under delegated powers, apparently due to a ‘lack of land available’. Both also called for a deferral for further work on the access proposals.

However, developer Bellway’s statement referred to the plans as a ‘high-quality redevelopment’, noting that a number of amendments had been made to address many of the concerns raised.

Meanwhile, the landowner, the Netherton Park trustees, highlighted that the proceeds of the sale will help disadvantaged youngsters in the county ‘for many years to come’.

As part of the approval, 30 per cent of the proceeds will be handed over to the county council for buying and leasing residential properties for children’s homes.

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