Lowick housing plans poised to get the green light

Four bungalows and 12 houses are planned in phase two of the Village Meadows scheme, off South Road.

Berwick-based GM Craig Building Contractors, which built the eight homes comprising the first phase of the development, is behind the latest plans.

However, Lowick Parish Council has objected and asked for the plans to be called in.

Clerk Ann Gold, in a letter of objection, said: “There is currently planning permission for 36 new homes within the village of Lowick and the parish council is of the opinion that this adequately fulfils the needs for housing in the village.

"There is also an abundance of housing proposals within the area around Lowick. We argue that this development would exceed the need for housing in our locality.”

The parish council says approval would render key parts of its emerging Neighbourhood Plan ‘irrelevant’.

“The Neighbourhood Plan has identified this area as an open space for recreational facilities,” its letter states. “The parish council feel that, if this development is granted permission, it overthrows much of the hard work and consultation done in preparing the Plan and renders key parts of it irrelevant.”

There are also nine letters of objection raising various concerns, including the dangers of more traffic on a narrow road leading to a junction with the B6353.

The application will be discussed by members of the North Northumberland Local Area Council planning committee in Berwick on Thursday.

Case officer Jon Sharp reports: “Although the application site is greenfield in nature, it is located adjacent to the built form of and would be read as a natural extension to the settlement.”

He acknowledges ‘there is no pressing need’ to permit housing given the number of existing planning permissions but said the proposal could not be refused on these grounds.

GM Craig director Neil Craig previously said: “With phase one selling so well we have really developed this phase two with the buyer in mind and all the feedback we got from phase 1.

“There is nothing else like what we are offering in the area and we are all really looking forward to offering these properties to the market.”