Detailed plans for 37 homes in Belford submitted by Ida Homes

Ida Homes is proposing a range of two to five-bedroom homes on a six-acre greenfield site at South Meadows on the southern edge of the village.

Outline planning permission for the development of the site between Rogerson Road and South Meadows Caravan Park was approved in 2020.

A reserved matters application detailing its appearance, access, layout, landscaping and scale has now been lodged with Northumberland County Council.

Charlie Maling-Dunn, operations director for Ida Homes, said: “There is a proven need for more high-quality homes in Northumberland and fulfilling this demand is one of Ida Homes’ founding principles.

“Belford is a sustainable village with excellent amenities and this particular site has long been established as a suitable location for new homes.

“The requirement for affordable homes is particularly high in Northumberland. We strongly believe that private and affordable homes should be of equal design quality.

"We have demonstrated this in our early developments and this is an important element of the design principles we have put forward for Belford.”

A mix of detached and semi-detached house types and bungalows are proposed with a variety of architectural styles and finishes.

Ten of the 37 dwellings will be allocated for affordable provision.

A new access is proposed from South Road joining with the existing entrance to Sunnyhills of Belford farm shop and cafe.

An area to the front of the development, close to the farm shop, would be preserved as a drainage basin which would encourage new wildlife habitats. Hedgehog highways would be installed throughout the site.

Northumberland County Council has begun consulting on the plans.

Ida Homes hopes to secure planning consent in March and work would start soon afterwards. The homes could be released for sale by the end of 2023 and the first residents would move in early in 2024.

Ida Homes has already completed developments in several parts of the county including Ellingham, Christon Bank and Chatton. It is currently planning 18 new apartments in Morpeth’s Cottingwood Lane.