Residents have reacted furiously after a controversial planning application was narrowly passed by councillors despite concerns over future development and anti-social behaviour.
Housing developer Bellway Homes applied for a change of use from agricultural land in a field north of Eland Lane in Ponteland to forestry and community education, which would include the planting of trees and the creation of a "planting amphitheatre."
The company said the development would "be used as a space to develop knowledge and skills on tree planting, forest management, collecting and recording of environmental data, citizen science, and can be used as a tool to raise awareness of climate change," - but local residents and Ponteland Town Council both objected to the plan.
