Sites capable of delivering 2,615 homes in Hexham have been put forward as Northumberland prepares for a near-doubling of its annual housing target. The figure is part of a wider review covering towns and villages across the county, but it does not mean that 2,615 homes have been approved or will be built.
Northumberland would be required to deliver between 1,670 and 1,700 new homes each year under the Government’s revised methodology. That compares with the county’s current target of 885 homes a year.
The Government’s national ambition is to construct 1.5 million homes during the current term, as ministers seek to address the housing crisis. In Northumberland, the new figures have prompted debate about where development should take place, what type of housing is needed and how communities will be able to influence future decisions.
What the Hexham figure means
The 2,615-home figure comes from the council’s Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment, known as the HELAA. The assessment contains a map of sites put forward by developers and landowners for consideration and was published on October 12.
It covers potential development in 30 Northumberland towns and villages, including Hexham, Cramlington and Prudhoe. Other figures in west Northumberland include capacity for 779 homes in Stocksfield, 736 in Corbridge and 727 in Wylam if every proposed site were developed.
However, council leaders have stressed that the HELAA is not a list of approved sites. Only a small fraction of the land identified is expected to be allocated for development. Any sites proposed for inclusion in the new Local Plan will also be subject to public consultation, allowing residents to comment as the plan progresses.
Trevor Cessford, Conservative county councillor for Hexham North, said the town did not need houses everywhere to meet Government targets. He said not all the identified sites would progress to Local Plan allocations or planning applications and that he would seek a proportionate approach to allocations in Hexham.
Pressure for affordable and social housing
Local representatives agree that the key issue is not simply the number of homes, but whether new development meets the needs of people who live and work in the area.
Joe Morris, Labour MP for Hexham, said people who wanted to remain in their communities were being priced out by high housing costs and a shortage of suitable, affordable homes. He described housing that allowed people to build their lives in the Tyne Valley as essential to the area’s long-term vitality.
Suzanne Fairless-Aitken, Liberal Democrat councillor for Hexham East, said Hexham faced a shortage of about 500 affordable homes and social homes, citing a Karbon Homes survey carried out four years ago. She said the Fellside/Old Middle School site could help, while the Dukesfield site and the old bus station were also being considered.
She added that future housebuilding in Hexham would still go through Northumberland County Council officers and local councillors, despite the revised Government targets.
Wendy Breach, chair of Hexham Community-Led Housing, said the “call for sites” process had caused confusion. She stressed that land being offered by developers and landowners did not show that the town wanted or needed every possible home identified.
HCLH said new housing in Hexham should focus on affordable schemes on brownfield and infill sites near shops, public transport and town-centre services. Sites identified in the Hexham Neighbourhood Plan, including the telephone exchange, former Workhouse and old bus station, have been included in the latest assessment.
The organisation believes those locations could provide affordable rented or shared-ownership homes, although land ownership problems and high asking prices are holding back progress.
Next steps for residents
The Local Plan will determine which sites, if any, are proposed for allocation. Residents will have an opportunity to respond through public consultation, and inclusion in the HELAA does not change the planning status of the land.
Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said the authority wanted more homes, particularly affordable homes and mixed developments, including on the former Hexham Middle School site. However, he said there were limits and that local people had the right to express their views as the process continued.
For Hexham residents, the immediate development is therefore the planning review rather than a confirmed building programme. The 2,615 homes represent the total capacity of sites submitted for consideration if all were developed; decisions on allocations, planning applications and construction have yet to be made.