Northumberland club plans housing, leisure and retail development

A Northumberland golf club is seeking planning permission for a major £11 million upgrade.

The proposals are actually scaled down from an even bigger proposed project, which was refused planning permission last year.

Now, Belford Golf Club has seen an outline application lodged on its behalf by Moorlands Holdings (NE) for a housing, leisure and retail development to Northumberland County Council.

Club owners David and Michael Ratliff want to build 21 new homes – nine detached homes and 12 bungalows – around the nine-hole course. The previous application proposed 37 homes.

Plans for a farm shop, retail units, offices, sports pitch, two tennis courts, an extended clubhouse, new driving range, bowling green, play park, mother and toddler facilities and micro-brewery are all retained in the new application.

David said: “We are pleased to resubmit via our planning consultant scaled down proposals for development of land next to the golf club.

“For everyone, the last two-plus years have been grim.

“However we have worked well with a raft of specialists to produce a scheme for the benefit of all-particularly the village and surrounding hamlets.

“The population of the village and neighbourhood is in fact similar to Wooler and Rothbury but we have seen a decline from 17 shops to three and virtually no sporting facilities compared with these towns.

“The new scheme takes on board public consultation and survey reports and individual conversations with residents and visitors.

“Some 50 permanent jobs, ideally for local residents, will be created.

“We are optimistic and hopeful that the amended scheme gains approval.”

The previous application was refused by planners under delegated powers due to its potential impact on the local landscape, historic environment and natural beauty of the local area and insufficient information supplied on ecological, archaeological and flooding matters and the issue of affordable housing.