Northumberland Estates submits housing plans for Acklington site

The Duke of Northumberland’s development company has submitted a planning application seeking permission to build four new homes and demolish redundant buildings on land behind the former village school.

A four bedroom home and a trio of three bedroom properties are proposed.

A planning report on the applicant’s behalf states: ‘The proposed houses are designed to externally reflect and incorporate the locally distinctive design features and building materials seen in the architectural characteristics of Acklington village, including the nearby listed buildings.

‘The houses all have more open aspects facing their rear gardens which will allow the houses to have a contemporary open feel with large areas of glazing and excellent visual connections between the interior and the surrounding landscape, whilst still presenting a traditional front to the street scene.’

Plans for a four bedroom home on the eastern part of the site were approved in 2017 but have now lapsed.

Acklington School closed in 2018 due to falling pupil numbers and has been vacant, with no public access allowed to the field, since then.

Northumberland Estates made a pre-planning application enquiry to Northumberland County Council in 2020 but says timescales for submission of this planning application have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also reveals that a black poplar tree on the site boundary had effectively made the housing development site unfeasible but it was blown down during Storm Arwen last November, allowing the scheme to progress again.