PLANS for a new holiday let near a North Tyne village have been refused.

Permission had been sought for the demolition of a redundant steel portal framed farm building and the construction of a dwelling for holiday accommodation purposes on land north east of the Leazes Head B&B, outside Humshaugh.

Plans show the one-and-a-half storey holiday let would have comprised of a kitchen/living/dining area, function space, WC, boot room and three en-suite bedrooms.

A planning statement submitted by agents R & K Wood Planning earlier this year said the building would have had a footprint of less than half the size of the cattle shed which it would have replaced, and had been designed to compliment the original buildings which remain there.

The statement added: "The building is intended to be used for holiday rental purposes with function space available, to also allow for occupiers to have events within the space related to the dwelling, such as birthday gatherings etc.

"This is intended to widen the market for the holiday property and provide a type of facility not commonly available within this sector, whereby occupiers of the holiday property can also host a larger meal or party during their holiday."

Car parking and a patio area would have also been created next to the cottage.

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However, in a decision notice issued last week, a Northumberland County Council planning officer said: "The application site is located within the open countryside, at a distance from the village of Humshaugh.

"It has not been demonstrated that the application site is a sustainable location and it has not been demonstrated that the provision of new, permanent holiday accommodation in this location would diversify Northumberland's tourist offer, would provide necessary accommodation along an established tourist route and would be located as close as is practicable to existing development."

They said it would therefore be contrary to Northumberland Local Plan policies and the principles of the National Planning Policy Framework.