Appeal Update

An appeal was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in January 2020 against the decision to refuse planning permission for Ascendant: The Elizabeth Landmark.

Due to the high level of public interest in the scheme, the Planning Inspectorate has decided that the appeal should be conducted via a hearing. Unsurprisingly, the lockdown and restrictions necessary to stop the spread of the Coronavirus have negatively impacted the ability to carry out a hearing. At present there is no date set for this to take place; we await further guidance from the Planning Inspectorate as to the manner and timeframe in which the hearing is likely to be conducted.

In parallel, we submitted an amended application for planning permission to Northumberland County Council in February 2020, which is currently under consideration. The size, scope and nature of the application mean it will be decided by the Strategic Planning Committee, which consists of elected Councillors advised by planning officers. Northumberland County Council has advised that again owing to the high degree of public interest in this application, they wish to find a suitable mechanism for conducting the Strategic Planning Committee regarding this application. It is hoped that this will take place during the summer and we await further details.