FIVE new homes could be built on Haydon Bridge’s former fire station site.

Northumberland County Council has exchanged contracts with North-East based Bradley Homes for the sale of the Station Road site.

A planning application has been submitted and is expected to be published on the council’s website in due course.

Local county councillor Alan Sharp told a meeting of Haydon Parish council last Thursday that five homes were being proposed.

Parish councillors reacted angrily to the news, and claimed villagers should have been given a say on the future of a site in the heart of the community.

Coun. Eileen Charlton said: “It was public land, but the county council has just sold it. The public were not even allowed to know who was interested in the fire station site until the sale was cut and dried.”

Speaking after the meeting, Coun. Charlton said the parish council had considered seeking an asset transfer, with a view to taking over the fire station for community use.

But she added: “We weren’t given enough time to come up with a real plan before it was put on the market.”

A county council spokesman said: “We did have discussions with the parish council about a possible purchase, but the parish council decided not to proceed.

“The fire station is a former operational building owned by the county council and is not public land. The county council does not consult the public on the sale of such properties.

“All interested parties will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed development as part of the usual planning process.”