Mitford Estates plan to build 280 homes, a hotel, a restaurant and roadside services on land west of Lancaster Park have been rejected by Northumberland County Council’s planning committee. The proposals were the latest in a long stream of housing proposals put forward for developers that have already seen over 1000 homes given planning permission. The news has been welcomed by local residents who object to the scheme which was outside the Morpeth settlement boundary on safeguarded land.   

Speaking after the decision, Conservative Councillor for Morpeth North, David Bawn said, “I am delighted that the County’s Strategic Planning Committee have rejected this ill-thought out proposal. The land in question is clearly designated as “Safeguarded land” in both the emerging Morpeth Neighbourhood Plan and County Core Strategy and I am reassured that Councillors have affirmed this in their decision.

“The aggressive and “bully-boy” tactics of the applicants of this proposal including a cynical attempt to undermine the basis of the Neighbourhood Plan have rightly failed. Let us hope that Mitford Estates accept the decision of the Council and the overwhelming views of local residents and scrap the entire scheme.”