A CONTROVERSIAL planning application that will see 50 new homes built in Prudhoe has been approved.

The move will see a mix of two, three and four-bedroom family homes built on land south of North Row in Prudhoe, Northumberland.

In September, residents of the nearby North Row raised concerns over a loss of around 200 trees, which they said were home to badgers and bats.

However, the £10 million development, on brownfield land next to the former Eltringham Works, was approved by officers at Northumberland County Council.

Outline permission for the development had already been granted in August 2016, with the reserved matters application submitted just before the original permission ran out.

It is predicted that the scheme will support the employment of up to 155 people in construction and the supply chain, while also creating eight affordable homes.

The application was steered through the planning process by Hedley Planning Services, on behalf of applicant Horizon Products Ltd.

Sean Hedley, managing director at Hedley Planning, said: "“Working closely with the planning authority from the outset has been invaluable in securing planning approval.

“As planners, we want to see the creation of good quality, beneficial new housing projects that leave a long-lasting legacy. This one will undoubtedly see a real positive change to this part of south Northumberland.

"It’s also a big step forward in delivering much-needed family homes for the North East.

"Approval offers a great opportunity for an ambitious housebuilder to develop a site that will be seen as an important boost to the regeneration of an important county town.

"It was encouraging to see planning applications being approved by the local authority despite the difficulties imposed on the process by COVID-19."