Shilly-chaleting about

Mar 27 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A CHALET that teeters on the edge of an eroded cliff has been pulled out of an auction amid a planning wrangle.

The two-bedroom building in Low Hauxley, near Amble, Northumberland, has a starting price tag of £100,000 despite lying only five metres from a drop to the sea.

Permission has been granted for the cabin to be relocated 10 metres back from the five-metre drop.

But Alnwick District Council says that while it agreed to allow the repositioning of the building, it has not given permission for the construction of a new property.

Auctioneers Pattinson were forced to withdraw the house from the auction at Newcastle Falcons’ Kingston Park rugby complex following the confusion.

Head of auction Richard Francis said: “We have postponed the auction until next month because we are unsure of how much work can be done.

“If the hammer goes down on an auction, then that’s the end of it, and you can’t expect someone to put a bid in for a property when they do not know what they can do with it.”

It is thought Pattinson has already received offers in excess of £100,000 for the building.

But there was confusion over whether the new building had to be reconstructed exactly as it is or if it could have a new design. A spokesman from Alnwick District Council said: “We had agreed to allow the repositioning of the existing structure with vehicle access of 10 metres at the rear.

“There was nothing in that commission for the construction of a new building.

“That would entail a separate planning application and if they were to submit one then we would consider it based on its own merits.”

Pattinson has arranged for the property to go under the hammer on April 29.

The chalet now stands on a large concrete base which would provide the foundation for any new chalet.

Any new building could be built on a plot that measures 30m by 25m and backs on to a road linking Amble and Hauxley.

With stunning views over Coquet Island, auctioneers believe it will generate a lot of interest.

The site had previously been included in a study by coastal engineering consultants Royal Haskoning, and rock revetments are already in place to absorb the impact of the pounding waves.

It has been suggested that these could be extended to further protection for the land behind them.