AFTER five years of anxiety, the spectre of hundreds of houses providing a solid urban link between Ponteland and Newcastle has been lifted.

The champagne flowed on Friday as campaigners celebrated the news that Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark had rejected the appeal by developers Lugano to build 280 homes on green belt land at Birney Hill Farm near Darras Hall.

Hexham’s MP Guy Opperman, one of the lead campaigners against the development, described the verdict as “a victory for local democracy.”

In giving his decision, Mr Clark said he agreed with the public inquiry inspector’s conclusions that however welcome might be the revitalisation to the North-East economy, the provision of executive housing and the creation of an exemplar garden suburb, they did not outweigh the harm that the development would cause.

While the appeal site was in a sustainable location, accessibility to services and facilities was relatively poor and there would be clear environmental harm.

It was also considered the proposed development would harm the landscape character of the area because of the significance of the listed Birney Hall and the views across the site towards the Cheviots and there were a number of constraints to the development in terms of connectivity with Darras Hall and aircraft noise.

Mr Opperman said: “The fact that as local campaigners we have been able to fight off these plans by a multi million pound developer is a victory for local people, and our community.”

During the campaign, the MP spoke out so fiercely in the defence of the green belt against Lugano, that at one stage the developers threatened to take legal action against him.

Mr Opperman said: “I have always remained very hopeful that Lugano’s appeal would be thrown out, and today those of us who have battled so long and so hard, will take a huge sigh of relief.

“There were always very clear and objective planning grounds on which this application should be rejected, and I am so pleased our arguments have been listened to.”

A statement released by Lugano said it would be considering the decision with its legal advisers and added: “We are very disappointed that the Secretary of State has not taken the opportunity to support our proposals which would have set a new standard for residential development in the UK.

“This is a vital opportunity missed to bring forward homes of the highest quality in an area of acute need, yet which also came with a ground-breaking package of community benefits.

“Our development at Birney Hill Farm would have secured much-needed investment in local infrastructure for all Ponteland residents, as well as creating jobs and affordable homes for young people and families.

“Despite this setback, we remain committed to bringing forward proposals that will help secure the economic future of both Northumberland and the North-East which demonstrate that new housing can be done to an exceptional design standard and in a way that showcases the best of the region.”

The application attracted 4,310 letters of objection, and opposition also came from Newcastle International Airport and the Environment Agency. The county council’s strategic housing, conservation, public protection and flood management departments also objected.

The victory for green belt campaigners came as it was revealed Northumberland County Council was one of just 62 out of 318 local authorities who have yet to submit a local plan – its key planning document for the next 15 years – putting it in the bottom 20 per cent of all councils.

The county council is not expected to submit its local plan for inspection until March 2016 at the earliest and Conservative group leader Coun. Peter Jackson expressed concern that the delay could leave Northumberland open to further attacks on its green belt.

He said: “We have won the battle here in Ponteland but this Labour administration’s lack of a proper local development plan has left the county’s green belt without adequate protection.

“The position they have left us in, effectively the worst 20 per cent in the country, is simply not acceptable.

“The county council’s failure leaves Northumberland’s green belt at real risk.”

However, the county council defended its position, noting that the Secretary of State had agreed with a number of significant elements of the council’s reasons for refusal.

Cabinet member for economic growth Coun. Alan Hepple added: “It is also good to see that he agrees that, if changes are required to the green belt, these should be made through the preparation of the Core Strategy, rather than focusing only on issues of lack of a five year housing land supply.”

In welcoming the verdict, a spokesman for Ponteland Civic Society expressed concern as to where Lugano might turn next.

A statement said: “It is, of course, open to Lugano to challenge the legal validity of the decision and if they decide to take such action they will have to apply to the High Court within six weeks.

”You might think that if they decide to do this then they would be throwing good money after bad.

“However, you may also suspect that, since they have been so prodigal with promised inducements in the past, no-one can now be quite certain what they might do; maybe they will even start all over again with some other part of the Dissington Estate, much of which they own already.”