A PIONEERING scheme to create an ‘energy independent’ housing and office centre in Northumberland has been rejected – because it would breach green policies aimed at protecting the countryside.
Eco-friendly building company Near Zero CO2 wanted to build two large bungalows and a studio office in the hamlet of West Moor near Felton, in a project which it claims would be a first.
The scheme was designed to produce more energy than it consumes by incorporating three small wind turbines to generate electricity, solar panels, heat pumps, highly insulated walls and triple glazed windows.
Now, in an ironic twist, it has been turned down by a Government planning inspector on the grounds that the development would be ‘totally inappropriate’ in a countryside location.
Inspector Andrew Freeman said, while there is no doubting the sustainability credentials of the proposed buildings, the location falls foul of other planning policies.
He dismissed an appeal by Near Zero CO2 director John Cotterill against the decision by Castle Morpeth Borough Council a year ago to refuse planning permission for the scheme.
The aim of the project was to generate enough energy to fuel the homes and offices, and sell excess power back to the national grid each year.
The bungalows would be built so people could live and work in them and the office would house support staff employed by Near Zero CO2, which would move there from North Shields.
In his appeal decision, Mr Freeman said new housing in the countryside required special justification, and the West Moor site was not a location where he would expect to see residential development unconnected to agriculture or some other rural use.
“The idea of an energy efficient design is laudable. However, in this case, a countryside location is totally inappropriate and would be contrary to the locational policies of the development plan.
“Notwithstanding the distinctive merits of the scheme, sustainability objectives would be best served by locating the development in an existing service centre.
“This would be a better way of reducing the need to travel by placing the housing and employment closer to key services and amenities, as well as near to a labour pool. The countryside would also be protected from unrelated development.”
Last night Mr Cotterill said: “The energy we would sell back to the grid would be equal to taking 130 cars off the road every year, so it does seem a bit silly that we were turned down on the basis of car journeys. We now accept we can’t go any further with this site and are planning to establish a new factory and office base on industrial land in Hadston.”
