Residents of a Northumberland village with some of the best views of the River Tyne have been left angry after a property developer erected a two-metre high fence blocking part of the stunning view.
Property developer Hamilton Willis recently had an application for four new homes on land south of Centurion Way in Heddon-on-the-Wall rejected by Northumberland County Council’s planning committee.
Despite the request proving unpopular with local residents, the company has filed an appeal which is expected to be heard next month.
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And last week villagers were shocked when a large wooden fence was erected on the border of the proposed site and Centurion Way, in front of benches commonly used by walkers from the village and further afield.
Lorraine Twizell, whose house overlooks the fence, was furious that it was erected without warning.
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
She said: “The whole village is very angry. There is a woman and her disabled son who like to come here and watch the birds and he is very distressed. People also come here and watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks. An and Bonfire Night.
“The benches are also used by walkers from Newburn, Wylam and Throckley. It’s a vantage point that many villagers come to use, and now the view is totally gone.”
(Picture: handout)
Maureen Gibson, who also lives on Centurion Way, added: “They said that hedge was overgrown and messy. I’ve lived here 60 years and it’s never been messy. It’s childish.”
Residents have contacted Northumberland County Council as they believe the fence should have had planning permission due to its proximity to the motorway.
A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of this issue which is in the very early stages of investigation. An officer will be visiting the site in the coming weeks to assess whether the fence requires planning permission. .
“Anyone who has been in contact with the council about this will be informed of the results of the site visit.”
Lorraine also explained the latest situation with the planned development.
She said: “At the planning meeting, we won, so we thought it was all over – but on January 4, we received a message that the developer was going to make the decision to appeal. That’s where that the case is currently pending.
“It must have been a few years now. In the appeal papers they said they had been considerate of local residents, but they didn’t.”
Hamilton Willis did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for comment.
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