A number of local residents attended the parish council meeting on Monday to express their views on the plan.

The planning application is for the erection of two four-bedroom detached houses to the rear of 14 St Aidan's, both two storeys in height, with stone frontage and rendering on the other walls.

Local residents expressed serious concerns about the proposal being an overdevelopment of the site, about the proposed properties not being in keeping with neighbouring homes and possible overlooking issues, the associated increase in traffic, and the adverse impact more homes in that area of the village would have on sewerage and water systems.

These concerns were echoed by a number of the parish councillors, who were unanimous in their objection to the plan.

Coun Pauline Orrin said: "It is not a town, it is a village.
"What they are trying to do is put houses on every single plot of green they can put them on.

"It's about time we stood up and said enough is enough. I think the residents for once have got to be listened to."

Coun Forbes Grant commented that balconies on the properties would enable people to 'peer into neighbouring gardens.'

He said "That is very unfair, and is taking privacy away from people who already live in the properties backing onto this development."

Coun Sylvia Hillen added: "It would be better if they were lower.
"I don't like the height of them because they would be overlooking other properties," she said.

Councillors Maureen Bramley and David Shiel also expressed their concern at the look of the proposed houses, as they felt the houses would not be in keeping with the surrounding properties or suitable in the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

However, parish council chairman, Coun Geoffrey Stewart, said that he anticipated a building on the site after the developer had received permission from the Lord Crewe Trust to use a road past the existing property for access to the rear.

Coun Bill Weeks said: "We may have reached a watershed in that any expansion in residential size could materially alter the essential character of this area of outstanding natural beauty and create an unstoppable rural sprawl."

The parish council agreed to put forward their objection to the scheme on the grounds that they felt the buildings were too high; balconies would cause a noise nuisance and would be detrimental to the privacy of neighbouring properties; and there would be an adverse impact on already stretched water and sewerage systems.