Families paying the price for Tyne's recovery

May 11 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

WHEN Brenda Charleston and her neighbours bought homes on a brand new estate with views of the river they were delighted.

Four years on that delight has turned to horror as their view of the Tyne will soon be obscured with cranes, rigs and buildings – while industrial noise and disturbance could plague them for 24 hours a day.

The Hadrian Mews development in Wallsend was built despite North Tyneside Council rejecting the plans because of the potential for loud disturbances from former shipyards nearby. A Government planning inspector overturned the council’s decision in 2005 after bosses from Amec and Shepherd Offshore gave assurances they had no major projects planned for the site. But now, as homeowners settle in, they have been told that SLP, which took over the Amec site, now plans to start building offshore gas and oil rigs just yards from their back doors.

Last night Derwent Way resident Mrs Charleston said she has seen her dream home ruined.

Mrs Charleston says she and her husband Robert have been told by North Tyneside Council that her house was only allowed to be built because then-landowner Bruce Shepherd and Amec bosses said noisy work was likely to be a thing of the past.

In 2003 Bellway Homes applied for permission to build 89 houses on the former Brims Depot site, only for the council to turn this down a year later.