Councillors agree to relocate site of proposed Morpeth play park

The decision was made at a meeting of Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee following a debate between members.

They were discussing an application from Linden Homes about the relocation of a proposed play park it has agreed to build as part of a previous application.

The park forms part of a new housing estate on the site of the former St George’s Hospital in Morpeth, and was originally due to be built on land currently occupied by the site compound. In order to adhere to conditions set out in the previous application, the applicant has proposed moving the play park across the road to a nearby location, while the current site compound would become green space.

However, despite the minor changes, the council received 24 objections to the proposals. One described the compound as an eyesore while others complained about noise and dust.

Despite this, Coun Richard Dodd proposed approving the application as recommended by officers. However, other councillors felt something needed to be done about the nearby ‘SuD’ pond.

A SuD, or sustainable drainage pond, allows excess rainfall to be held and slowly releases it, reducing the risk of flooding.

Coun Malcom Robinson said: “I don’t think mixing children and ponds of any description is a good idea.”

Coun Dodd argued: “These SuD ponds are for run-off water. To put something round it, even if it’s half a fence, will create something we don’t want.

“You won’t be able to cut the grass and it won’t be an open space for children to play or people to walk their dogs. I have faith in our planners.

“They need to have the pond for these one in 100-year floods, it’s just a reserve if we do get a flood.”

Despite this, other councillors disagreed. Coun Martin Swinbank said: “I think about how exactly this has come about. I think keeping the children away from the SuDs area rather than worrying about the convenience of the developer is the way we should go.”

Coun Robinson added: “A fence around a pond is just common sense to me.”

Coun Dodd’s motion was voted down by nine votes to five, while Coun Robinson’s motion to pass the application with an extra condition to add in the fence went through by 10 votes to three, with one abstention.