A pre-planning application has been submitted that could see more than 1,200 new homes built in the Northumberland market town of Bedlington. The proposals, presented to West Bedlington Town Council last week, outline approximately 1,250 houses on land southwest of Meadow View farm along Choppington Road.
Details of the Proposal
The plans include a community hub and employment uses alongside associated infrastructure. As the application is at a pre-planning stage, further details such as the applicant's identity have not been made public. The town council has expressed a desire to be directly involved in discussions to maximize benefits for residents.
Infrastructure Concerns
The development falls within the Bedlington West ward, represented by Independent Group leader Councillor Malcolm Robinson on Northumberland County Council. He voiced concerns that the town's infrastructure cannot support such a large influx of new homes.
Councillor Robinson stated: "I hadn't heard anything about it prior to it going to the town council for comment. That many houses would change Bedlington, it's massive for us. We can't possibly swallow that many houses with the infrastructure that we have. It's a huge number of houses."
He emphasized the need for additional doctors, schools, and roads, noting: "Even if people support it, they will want to know how we're going to support it with things like doctors, schools and roads. It will change everything, it would be about 3,000 people."
Government Housing Targets
According to the 2021 census, Bedlington's population was 16,190. The government has imposed a new housing target on Northumberland, requiring 1,649 new homes per year, or approximately 34,000 over the next 20 years. Councillor Robinson commented: "This is the start of things to come. We've then got to think about the housing target the Government has given us. Even breaking it down between the towns, that's around 2,000 new homes for Bedlington. There won't be a blade of grass between the towns in the south east."
Unlike most of Northumberland, the south east is heavily urbanized, containing the county's four largest towns: Blyth, Ashington, Cramlington, and Bedlington.
Next Steps
The pre-application will only become public if the developer submits a full application to Northumberland County Council. At that point, the public can comment before a decision is made. Due to the scale, any decision would likely be made by the council's Strategic Planning Committee, which handles the largest applications in the county.
