Developer withdraws controversial Ashington plans for 186 homes that faced rejection by councillors

Developer Banks Property had submitted the proposals for the site on Wansbeck Road in November 2022 but was met with stiff resistance from some local residents.

The application was due to be decided on by councillors at a Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 5, but the developer withdrew the application after council planning officers recommended the plans were refused.

Banks recently offered to promise 20% of the development’s properties would meet the definition of affordable housing, double what is legally required, but was told the plans were to be recommended for refusal regardless.

Planning officers’ report described the proposals as an “unacceptable and unjustified form of development within designated open countryside land.”

The report added: “Insufficient information has been submitted to justify the proposed development, which has the potential to impact the strategic road network and is contrary to the Northumberland Local Plan.”

The campaign against the development, by locals claiming it would cause traffic issues and damage the site’s pond, led to 125 formal objections to the plans.

Ashington Town Council had also objected and a petition opposing the development attracted 446 signatures.

31 comments supportive of the plans had been filed.

Tony Dodds, the chairperson of the campaign against the development, said: “The local residents affected by the proposals are obviously pleased to see that the planning application was recommended for refusal by Northumberland County Council and has now been withdrawn.

“We have said all along that this project is inappropriate for that location. The new housing would have a massive detrimental impact to the amenity of existing residents.

“There is no overriding need for the project and better sites exist within the town if more new homes are required.

“We hope Banks will take note of the local authority and local community’s strong and justifiable objections to the proposal and withdraw their interest in the site permanently.”

Banks, however, maintains the site is “well suited” to their proposal and said it was “very disappointed” that this outcome had been reached.

Jamilah Hassan, the developer’s community relations manager, said: “This is a lost opportunity to deliver a wide range of economic, employment, environmental, supply chain and social benefits to the area, and to create more opportunities for people who want to move to or stay in this area to do just that.

“The positive impact of our offer to double the allocation of affordable homes at Wansbeck Road from 10% to 20%, which followed a significant number of enquiries from local people who were looking for affordable housing, also seems not to have been fully appreciated.

“Very few developments in Northumberland have been able to make adequate provision of affordable housing and almost no schemes have provided bungalows, as Wansbeck Road would have done.

“Our ambition remains to create a thriving new community at Wansbeck Road that is a positive addition to south east Northumberland, and we will continue to examine the ways in which this objective might be achieved in the future.”