WORK has started on a project that will see five new homes built on the site of the former Haydon Bridge Fire Station.

The site has been left derelict since the county council took the controversial decision to close the fire station in 2016.

But in July 2017, the site was purchased by North-East housing developer Bradley Homes. Proposals to build the houses on the site were unanimously approved by Tynedale Local Area Council in May.

And this weekend, the former fire station finally came down, as demolition contractors from Thompsons of Prudhoe moved in.

Bradley Homes Director Tony Douglas said: “We’ll be building five new family homes, which you can see from the plans.

“Were hoping to have them built by the summer.”

However, the demolition has caused sadness in the village, where the closure of the fire station remains controversial.

James Brown, a sub officer at Haydon Bridge for 12 years, said: “It’s sad to see it go, like any site in the community.

“It’s disappointing that it was the route they took, but if it gives good houses for the village I suppose it’s a good thing.

“It will be interesting to see the prices of the homes.”

The application’s agents, Hedley Planning, wrote in a planning statement last year that developments of under 10 homes do not have to have an affordable housing provision.

The statement read: “The small scheme will be market led and an element of affordable housing provision would make the scheme unviable.”