VILLAGERS opposing plans for a bar and bistro next to their homes will go into battle tonight - for the third time.

Families at Ryehaugh, Ponteland, are outraged that developers have refused to accept defeat despite a planning rejection and a dismissed appeal in the last year.

They say the re-submission barely varies from the original application.

But after a new retail survey, Northumberland County Council planners are now being recommended to approve the new plan at Bell Villas, in the busy heart of Ponteland.

A decision will be made by the county’s west area planning committee when it meets in Hexham this evening.

The original planning application for the premises – which have stood empty for two years – was thrown out partly because it would take away the desired proportion of retail space in Ponteland.

The appeal inspector said the bistro development would cause unacceptable harm to the viability of Ponteland village centre.

But now minor changes to the physical character of the building in the re-submission from applicant Jonathon Stokes, combined with a full retail survey demonstrating the lack of interest in the unit, have shifted the balance, according to planning officers.

“The re-submission comprehensively overcomes the earlier reasons for refusal by the area planning committee west and the reasons for dismissal by the planning inspectorate,” a report to tonight’s committee says.

“The re-submission also overcomes the earlier concerns that the proposal could harm the character and vibrancy of the commercial and business centre of the village.”