Newbiggin-by-the-Sea holiday lodges proposal approved, replacing previous plan for new homes

The two and three bedroom chalets will be built to the south of the town on the former Links Quarry.

According to the application, previous plans for 63 homes and 16 holiday lodges at the 3.4 hectare site, approved in March 2021, were no longer viable.

The proposed 16 lodges have been carried over into the new application and the 63 homes have been replaced with 56 additional chalets.

The planning statement said: “The applicant has explored all avenues in seeking to develop the site in line with the existing planning permission for dwelling houses, having engaged with two different developers over the last four years.

“However, it has been established that due to the majority of the site having been previously back-filled this, alongside planning permission having been granted on neighbouring land for holiday lodges, would be expensive to remediate and would render the development wholly unviable.

“This new, high quality sea front holiday resort will provide a meaningful contribution in the continuing regeneration of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, and will safeguard existing housing stock within the town centre from purchase and occupation as holiday accommodation.”

The application was lodged on behalf of businessman Stephen Tuck, whose stone cutting business Cast Stone North borders the development site.

The business is planning to relocate from its home of 40 years to a different premises in North Seaton or Ashington in the future.

As a condition of the planning consent, the applicant agreed to contribute £22,812 to Northumberland County Council work to protect coastal habitats.

Access to the site will be via a private access road that connects to the B1334. The final look of the lodges is yet to be decided, with three suppliers under consideration.

The developer claims the site will attract tourists to Newbiggin, providing economic benefits.

The planning statement said: “The proposals will result in a significant amount of investment into Newbiggin-by-the-Sea through the generation of tourism, which will ultimately be of benefit to the local economy.

“During the construction phase, the proposed development contains the potential to facilitate the creation of temporary construction jobs which will ultimately benefit local businesses and the local economy.

“At this scale, the development will have positive impacts on local supply chains and is capable of generating significant economic prosperity within the local industry.”

The plans added that the development will be integrated into the natural environment with landscaping, including plants that will “enhance” the area’s biodiversity.

Council planners agreed, and said in their report: “Overall, the site is well-related to the service centre of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and is an appropriate location for a significantly-sized caravan site given the surrounding land use in the area. The site also promotes economic and tourism benefits.

“The scheme is not in proximity to existing residential development to cause a detrimental impact to amenity in terms of privacy, loss of light or any overbearing impact.”

The site is located near Parkdean Resorts’ Sandy Bay Holiday Park, which recently applied for permission to extend its site, and a Northumbrian Water sewage pumping station.