Budle Bay eco-park plans lie in tatters

May 27 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

PLANS to transform a Northumberland caravan park into a eco-site are lying in tatters, after an appeal was lost.

Owners of the Budle Bay caravan park and campsite at Waren Mill have had an appeal to a government planning inspector over a proposed £3m redevelopment of the site thrown out.

Peter Horne, director of Red Ridge Residential Ltd and Ingoe Mill Ltd, was seeking planning permission for static vans, with grass roofs, areas for wildlife and planting and the on-site recycling of waste water.

But the now defunct Berwick Borough Council refused his application last July.

Mr Horne appealed against the decision but planning inspector Anthony Lyman has now dismissed the challenge.

He concluded that the development would harm the character and appearance of the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and “permanently overwhelm the quiet rural character of the small attractive hamlet” of Waren Mill.

Last night Mr Horne said it is “the end of the line” for the project.

He said the scheme had been intended to bring in more money from the site to pay for its upkeep by creating a better quality attraction, and that he would now have to explore other ways of increasing revenue.

This could include reapplying for a 24-hour alcohol and entertainment licence, allowing the hosting of money-spinning events.

Mr Horne’s last bid for a 24-hour licence was turned down by the borough council following protests from local people fed up with events being staged at the park by previous owners.

He appealed that refusal and was eventually given the go-ahead to serve alcohol until 11pm.

Mr Horne said last night: “All of the options are back on the table.

“At the end of the day we need to invest in the campsite, how do we raise the money to invest in the site?”

Pat Scott, Northumberland County Councillor for Bamburgh and chairman of the Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership, welcomed the inspector’s findings.

She said: “I felt it would have radically changed the hamlet around that area at Budle Bay.

“I was not against the idea of sustainable camping, it was just the number of vans and amount of traffic that would have been involved.”

Peter Rutherford, manager of North Area development management team at the county council – which has assumed the borough’s planning duties, said: “We are very pleased that the planning inspectorate has upheld the council’s original decision.

“It is our view that the site would have caused demonstrable harm to the Northumberland Coastal Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the inspectorate has agreed that this is the case.”

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