BELLINGHAM residents believe they have been denied their right to know, after receiving ‘pathetic’ communication from Northumberland County Council about new housing plans.

Plans lodged by the Duke of Northumberland’s property arm, Northumberland Estates, outlined 37 new homes to be built on the outskirts of Bellingham, on farmland between the Bridgeford View estate and Noble Street on the West Woodburn Road.

Residents of the areas surrounding the proposed development say they are concerned by the absence of public notices in the Courant , as well as the lack of communication in other areas.

A group of residents objecting to the plans, who did not wish to be named, are concerned about the development.

Due to the location being on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Bellingham, they say people would use their cars to get to the local amenities, adding to current car parking problems.

Other objections raised include added pressure on the already struggling drainage system.

One local resident said a public sign was put up to inform residents of the proposals, but the sign was placed on a lamppost at a site which is rarely passed other than by the odd walker.

He said: “The public signage has been a disgrace. It is a regular A4 piece of paper in a sleeve that has been bound to a lamppost by some string which has been wrapped round about 10 times, which has covered half the writing.

“The sign said there was 21 days to put comments in but there was no date written on the sign, so it was a pathetic attempt at a public notice.”

The resident added that while people in Bellingham would be concerned by the plans, only those whose properties directly overlooked the proposed development had been informed by letter.

“People who I have spoken to said they heard only through word of mouth,” he added.

“They would have already have had a chance to think about it, talk to their neighbours about it and debate it before submitting their comments if only this had been advertised.

“Effectively, everybody who I have spoken to who didn’t know has said ‘I didn’t see it in the paper’.

“Advertising planning applications in the Northumberland Gazette , which has virtually nil circulation in Bellingham, is not effective local public consultation.”

The application is open for comments until March 10.