Way clear for final decision to be made on appeal against refusal of bid for 150 new homes in Morpeth

The additional consultation period that gave residents in Lancaster Park an unexpected opportunity to make a final plea against the proposal for a site west of the estate has now closed and so the way is clear for a planning inspector to either approve or reject the proposed properties.

And one of the final documents submitted indicates that their design will be the key issue, despite other concerns being raised.

An appeal was made by Persimmon Homes after its reserved matters bid was refused by Northumberland County councillors in autumn 2022. Outline planning permission was granted in 2016.

But there was a delay to the process. In one of the council’s own documents relating to the application on its planning portal, it explains that due to an issue with the “third-party notification procedures” it decided that the neighbour notification procedure needed to be undertaken again in full.

A year on from the appeal being lodged, both sides will finally get to find out the verdict shortly.

One of the council’s two reasons for refusal includes the following: ‘The development does not demonstrate high quality sustainable design and is not visually attractive’.

Other concerns raised by residents include their view that Morpeth has no need for more housing and it would be loss of green belt land that could be used as productive farmland.

But in a statement of common ground document between Persimmon and the county council, whilst the difference of opinion on design is noted, in relation to the housing numbers and green belt the document says ‘the principle of development was established when the outline consent was granted’.

Plans for a new service station, hotel and offices at a site east of the junction of the Morpeth Northern Bypass and the A1 by Euro Garages were turned down by the council, but Euro Garages was successful with its appeal last year.

This is linked to the housing application as building the service station would then provide an access route to the homes and so the council is no longer raising access as a point of dispute. It had been the second reason for its refusal.