Proposal for settlement boundary for Alnwick could limit any further housing development

The site where the Northumberland Estates was succesful at appeal, which is outside the proposed settlement boundary. Picture from Google Maps

The Alnwick and Denwick Neighbourhood Plan, which came into force in summer 2017, did not create a settlement boundary for the town, instead setting out a range of criteria for new housing as well as allocated sites to meet the need – 1,100 homes from 2011 to 2031.

However, through the Northumberland Local Plan, which is currently undergoing public examination, it is proposed to create a settlement boundary, within which there’s also no land available to build on except those areas under development at present at Willowburn Park and off Alnmouth Road.

Land outside settlement boundaries is defined as open countryside in the local plan and there are a series of restrictions on what development would be permitted, mainly related to business and farming.

At a hearing session on Wednesday, February 26, Guy Munden, from the Northumberland Estates, raised concerns about the local plan trying to ‘impose’ a settlement boundary, despite the community support for a neighbourhood plan which doesn’t have one.

He noted that Northumberland County Council was proposing a modification to the local plan ‘to respect the neighbourhood plan in Allendale’, but was not doing the same for Alnwick.

Mr Munden also pointed out that the Estates had recently been successful at appeal for a site outside the proposed boundary; its outline bid for 15 self-build plots on land between the golf course and Aydon View/Fairfields.

But one of the county council’s chief planners, Steve Robson, explained that the town council had requested a settlement boundary for Alnwick through the local plan.

Mr Munden said that a neighbourhood plan should not be changed based on a request from the town council, but through a review process.

However, planning inspector Susan Heywood, whose job it is to decide if the local plan is sound and legal, said: “It’s not changing the neighbourhood plan, so I’m not sure it’s unsound to have a settlement boundary that’s not there in the neighbourhood plan.”