COUNCILLORS in Northumberland have been told that a rise in new housing targets for the county should not influence planning decisions yet.

Local Conservative politicians were outraged at new proposals that will see the county’s housing target rise from 549 homes a year to 1,768 – an increase of 222 per cent. The plans form part of the new Labour Government’s plan to address the housing crisis.

However, at Tuesday’s meeting (August 6) of the county council’s strategic planning committee, members were told that those figures should not affect current planning applications.

READ MORE: Anger over possible 200 per cent hike in county's housing targets

Director of planning Rob Murfin explained that the changes would need to be consulted on.

He said: “On July 31 the Government issued a consultation version of the National Planning Policy Framework, which includes a real emphasis on increasing housing delivery rates across the country. For context, Northumberland’s target at the moment is 549 homes, and under the new proposed changes that would rise to 1,769 per year.

“That represents a step change in a target – but we are delivering at 1,559 per year at the moment. I want to be really clear that this is only a consultation document – and as such, has no weight whatsoever for the matters we’re going to be discussing today.

“Please take out of your mind that somehow approving our refusing applications will have any bearing on what is a hypothetical target at the moment. Attach no weight to them rather than a limited weight.”

At the meeting, councillors refused plans for 60 homes near Alnmouth and approved the next steps in the housing development at Northgate Hospital near Morpeth.

There are currently 14,000 residents on the waiting list for social housing in Northumberland, with around 6,000 of those deemed not to be in adequate housing. The county is also the most sparsely populated in England, with just 163 residents per square mile.

While the new targets have been criticised by the Conservatives, Labour councillors have said Northumberland must ‘play its part’ in tackling the housing crisis.