Councillors have turned down plans to build more holiday lets in two rural north Northumberland villages.
Applicants had submitted plans to demolish an existing building in the seaside town of Beadnell and replace it with three detached houses providing 18 beds as holiday accommodation.
A separate application requested permission for two holiday lets in the village of Dunstan near Craster, on land at Dunstan House.
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However, there has been growing concern about the rising numbers of properties being used as short-term rentals in Northumberland in recent years. The issue is a particular problem in the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which runs from Amble to Berwick.
Recent figures showed that there were 1,093 properties registered as holiday lets in the area, while a Freedom of Information request to Northumberland County Council showed that 31% of all properties in Beadnell were holiday homes in 2021.
Recent planning policies, including the Northumberland Local Plan and various neighbourhood plans - set by individual parishes - have sought to address this issue by blocking new-build holiday lets. Both Beadnell and Craster parishes have these policies in place; however, the plans to build new lets were both recommended for approval by council planners.
The Beadnell application proposed demolition of the former Links Garage Building, currently used as three holiday flats offering a total of 18 beds. In a report, planners said the application offered the opportunity to "improve the gateway to the village".
However, the council's conservation officer had concerns around the plans, which falls within the village's conservation area. It was felt the plans were "overdevelopment" and the "uniformity" of the buildings would harm the character of the conservation area.
Speaking at Thursday's meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Council, Coun Christine Williamson of Beadnell Parish Council argued: "I would like to confirm that Beadnell Parish Council agrees the existing building doesn't provide a good gateway into the village.
"We are supportive of redeveloping it, but this plan is not an acceptable solution. It is overdevelopment of the site, with one building being replaced by three.
"We would be open to considering a smaller development in keeping with the size of the site that will improve the character of the conservation area."
Speaking on behalf of the applicants, lawyer Nicola Allan argued the proposals were "like-for-like" and that with any less development, the scheme would not be viable.
She added: "It's a very important site and we have worked very hard with the council to make a good scheme."
However, county councillors voted to go against the officer's recommendations.
Coun Jeff Watson said: "I think it is an over-development of the site, I think it goes against the local plan. There should be a petter plan for this site.
"Beadnell is well-known for how many holiday cottages it has, this is against what the parish council is trying to do."
The plans were refused by six votes to three.
In terms of the Dunstan application, officers explained that while the Craster Neighbourhood Plan barred new market housing from being used as holiday lets, the proposal was for purpose-built holiday cottages and therefore fell outside the plan.
However, Craster Parish Council clerk Adam Shanley argued that the council was 'strongly opposed' to the application, adding: "Holiday accommodation does not support essential services required by the people of the county, such as health and education.
"There is no public benefit to these proposals."
Speaking on behalf of the applicant, agent Stuart Palmer explained that applicant Janet Stansfield, a well-known hotelier, wanted to create an "eco-tourism" site "completely different to anything on the Northumberland coast".
But once again, councillors voted against the proposals.
Coun Guy Renner Thompson said: "These are houses. If we as a group of members allow this it would potentially set a precedent that you can build houses up and down the coast and then just call them holiday lets, and then that's okay.
"We really need to nail this. If this was to go through, every land owner up the Northumberland coast would go 'oh well, this is what we can do.' If this goes through, all of our neighbourhood plans are a complete waste of time.
"It would have implications all over the country. I can't support it."
Coun Watson added: "I understand what officers are saying about the different categories, but it doesn't give the common sense view.
"I know what the parish council wants. They want to maintain the village and stop holiday lets."
The plans were unanimously rejected by the committee.
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