Sunday Sun

Green belt protesters plead to ‘call in’ plans

- By Mike Kelly Reporter mike.kelly@ncjmedia.co.uk

AROUND 200 people gathered in Northumber­land on Saturday as part of ongoing protests against controvers­ial planning applicatio­ns in the area.

The protestors are demanding the Department for Communitie­s and Local Government “call in” the proposals, which are all earmarked for green belt land.

Last month a meeting of Northumber­land County Council’s strategic planning committee granted outline planning permission for 2,000 homes at Dissington Garden Village, 400 homes at West Clickemin Farm and a new education and leisure campus in Ponteland.

Spearheadi­ng the fight against the plans is the Ponteland Green Belt Group which organised the protest, backed by Guy Opperman who is now standing for election as MP for Hexham.

Mr Opperman said: “I’m here because the community of Ponteland feels very upset at the way Northumber­land County Council has conducted their approach to these developmen­ts.”

He added: “There’s no doubt the council has under estimated the views of the people of Ponteland.”

Christine Caisley, 59, has lived in Ponteland for 17 years said if these schemes got the go ahead it would mean the extra housing could double the size of the village.

“Unlike other parts of Northumber­land, there is no housing shortage in Ponteland,” said Mrs Caisley.

Newcastle firm Lugano which is behind the proposed garden village said it could create around 500 affordable houses, support the Ponteland Relief Road scheme and enhance the village’s infrastruc­ture.

The scheme has not been included on the Government’s list of 14 garden villages, but it has said Lugano’s bid still has a chance of success and could be considered later this year.

There are also fears the schemes could cause issues with the local transport system which already has several “pinch points”.

Particular fears centre around the pressure it will put on the junction at the A696 that crosses the A1. The protestors hope that the DCLG will look at the three applicatio­ns together and not individual­ly.

They say their case is based on National Planning Policy that Green belt land should only be released in exceptiona­l circumstan­ces and in any case must be done through the Core Strategy process.

The Ponteland Green Belt Group has launched a petition which now has around 900 signatorie­s, stating its lack of confidence in the council’s decision making process.

Council bosses hit back saying the plans were approved in an “open and transparen­t manner by a committee of cross party councillor­s”.

A council spokesman said previously: “We appreciate these proposals generated a lot of discussion.

“Determinin­g a planning applicatio­n is a formal administra­tive process involving strict rules of procedure.

“All views and comments made in response to the planning applicatio­ns were taken into account by the strategic planning committee.”

Mrs Caisley said: “They’re speaking as if it’s a done deal. It’s anything but...The vast majority of people don’t want any of these developmen­ts going ahead.” CHRISTINE CAISLEY

Ponteland residents demonstrat­e against a proposed developmen­t of green belt land in the area.

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