Residents of a Northumberland village boasting some of the best views of the River Tyne have been left fuming after a housing developer erected a two-metre high fence blocking some of the stunning vista.
Property developer Hamilton Willis recently had an application for four new homes on land south of Centurion Way in Heddon-on-the-Wall rejected by Northumberland County Council's planning committee.
Despite the fact the application proved unpopular with local residents, the company has lodged an appeal which is set to be heard next month.
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And last week, villagers were shocked when a large wooden fence was erected on the border of the proposed site and Centurion Way, in front of benches commonly used by walkers from both the village and further afield.
Lorraine Twizell, whose house overlooks the fence, was furious it had been put up without warning.
She said: "The whole village is very angry. There is a woman and her disabled son who like to come here and bird watch and he's very distressed. People also come here and watch the fireworks at New Year and on Bonfire Night.
"The benches are also used by people walking from Newburn, Wylam, and Throckley. It's a viewing point which lots of the villagers come and use, and now the view is totally gone."
Maureen Gibson, who also lives on Centurion Way, added: "They had said this hedge had been overgrown and untidy. I've lived here 60 years and it's never been untidy. It's childish."
Residents have contacted Northumberland County Council as they feel the fence should have had planning permission due to its proximity to the highway.
A spokesman for the council said: "We are aware of this issue which is at the very early stages of investigation. An officer will be visiting the site in the coming weeks to determine if the fence requires planning permission.
"Everyone who has been in touch with the council about this matter will be informed of the outcome of the site visit."
Lorraine also explained the latest situation with the planned development.
She said: "At the planning meeting we won, so we thought it was all over - but on January 4 we got a message saying the developer was going to take the decision to appeal. That's where the case is currently sitting.
"This must have been going on a couple of years now. In the appeal documents they've said they've been considerate to local residents, but they haven't."
Hamilton Willis has not responded to the Chronicle's request for comment.
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