Scheme for 29 homes in village is turned down

Last Thursday, members of the North Northumberland Local Area Council knocked back an application for 29 homes on land south of Deneburn and next to West Lane Caravan Park.

The proposal, by Miller Homes, had sparked strong objections ahead of the meeting, including from Longframlington Parish Council.

The bid – comprising four bungalows, 10 four-bedroom properties and 15 five-bedroom homes – was a scaled-down version of the 39-house scheme which was refused by members of the county council’s planning committee in April due to design, massing and density.

Speaking at last week’s meeting, planning chairman Coun Trevor Thorne said that the applicant had gone some way to addressing the previous concerns, but not enough, adding: “The applicant hasn’t looked at what is already there in Longframlington, which is a very low-profile landscape, so I have to refuse on design, height and massing.”

Coun Steven Bridgett said he wanted more information on what impact the development would have on the local education system, particularly capacity at Dr Thomlinson C of E Middle School, in Rothbury.

Members agreed by majority verdict to approve a bid for 10 detached properties on land north-west of Lightpipe Farm, in Longframlington.

In agreeing to the scheme, members hope that they have got a good deal for the area, saying that an S106 agreement must be signed, committing to an offsite affordable-housing contribution, to be spent within 10 years, in the Shilbottle electoral division.

Coun Bridgett said: “If a division is having to deal with all this housing, it should benefit from an offsite contribution.”