Developer lodges appeal after plans for new homes in Alnwick rejected

An appeal has been lodged over a refused bid for new homes in Alnwick, which councillors rejected chiefly over landscape impact fears.

The outline application for 15 self-build plots on land north-east of Stoney Hills, between the golf course and Aydon View/Fairfields, was narrowly turned down by the North Northumberland Local Area Council before Christmas.

When first submitted, the proposal was for 19 homes, but this was later reduced to leave some open space on the site.

Committee members ignored the advice of Northumberland County Council planning officers at last December's meeting to refuse the scheme on the grounds of its impact on the landscape and the nearby listed buildings plus concerns about access.

Now, the Northumberland Estates has launched an appeal, stating that the council 'had no alternative substantive evidence to corroborate the refusal reasons set out'.

The applicant added that the council 'appears to have given no weight whatsoever to the benefits of the development as they ought to have done'.

When the decision was made, planning boss Liz Sinnamon had warned that the latter two reasons would be difficult to defend at appeal given the advice from the council's own experts - the conservation officer and highways team - was that there were no issues which would warrant rejection.

Planning officer James Bellis had also explained that as the proposals were in outline, a detailed assessment of the impact on the landscape was not possible, so the conclusion was that 15 homes could potentially be accommodated on the site without a detrimental impact.

The design of the properties would be subject to further applications and there was a condition which would have been attached to the permission that a design strategy document had to be agreed ahead of these bids.

But the councillors stuck to their guns and the plans were refused by four votes to three.

The application site is to the south of Alnwick Castle Golf Club's current clubhouse and car park, where 10 detached houses were approved last October.