A planning application is currently being prepared for a high-quality mixed-use development at Middle Farm North, to the east of the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (the Hospital), Cramlington. The proposal will deliver local services and amenities in close proximity to the regionally significant Hospital, providing childcare options and housing choice for staff.

 

The need for new homes has significantly increased following recent national planning reforms, and Northumberland County Council are now reviewing their Local Plan to include more sites for housing. This site can deliver housing to meet that need without building homes in the Green Belt.

 

Construction will support around 124 jobs on site. Once operational the local centre is expected to deliver 38 jobs in the retail area and 13 in the nursery (51 in total), with additional operational staff requirements for the Extra Care providing further specialist job opportunities. The proposal will also deliver economic benefits, generating around £8.5million of household expenditure per annum (once fully built and occupied) and £60.1million of gross value added (GVA) per annum during the seven-year construction period (current prices).

 

The site is currently agricultural land and extends to approximately 40 hectares in total. The site is shown on the image below. It includes the main development area to the north, with the proposed areas for housing identified, as well as a sustainable drainage (SuDS) basin and active travel links to the east. The area indicated in blue is submitted in Outline, meaning that the details are not yet fixed. The site also includes two field parcels to the south, which are proposed for skylark mitigation.