VILLAGERS have alleged that developers denied approval to build a 'Bond villain's lair' have spoiled one of the 'loveliest' walks in the area after a fence was erected alongside a right of way.

In December, controversial proposals to build a climate positive house on green belt land south of Church Lane, Riding Mill, were turned down after public outcry.

Now, a member of Save our Green Belt - Riding Mill Facebook group has described the move as "rather spiteful". She said: "They have completely fenced it off - barbed wire, CCTV... the works - apart from a 2m (narrower in places though) strip down one side, which they say is the public footpath.

"The strip of rerouted ROW isn’t safe due to gorse etc and certainly doesn’t allow much social distancing on this popular route. For people who clearly wanted to live in this community and said they had eco credentials it’s a bizarre move; they’ve removed a large chunk of hedgerow to accommodate the new track.

"Everyone has relied so much on getting outdoors during lockdown and this move has just left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. There’s also concern that it could indicate the owners could try and appeal the decision on Fold House at some point in the future."

However, area countryside officer at Northumberland County Council Tim Fish said he is “satisfied that the works undertaken are lawful and do not infringe public rights of way legislation” after carrying out an inspection of the site; "a landowner is able to install a fence to separate a public right of way from adjacent land, as long as it does not reduce the width of the footpath to less than is legally recorded or alter the recorded legal route."

The landowner said in a statement that the fence, which created a 3m footpath, had been installed after "continued trespassing and concerns for livestock, as well as criminal damage and vandalism".

A Northumberland County Council spokesperson added: "In this case, the legally recorded route is down the west side of the field, next to the field boundary, and is of a width of 1.5 metres. The newly fenced area is wider than this, up to 2 metres, for most of its length."