Northumberland Tile Factory Demolished For Sixty New Homes Project

That old factory is finally coming down. For years, it’s been ugly and a problem. They’re going to build sixty new homes there. The site is on Lead Lane, near Northumberland and Durham. The old Marley Tiles factory closed long ago.

Getting a project approved has been tough. Story Homes, a builder, made the latest plan. It went to the council’s planning group on Tuesday. The group said no to Bellway Homes in 2019. Bellway wanted to build 105 homes there at one point.

A local council member, Colin Horncastle, spoke Tuesday. He said this was the last chance for the site. The factory is a real mess. It attracts young people doing bad things. Two years back, a kid fell through the roof. He got hurt badly.

Everyone wants it fixed. The factory has been rotting for decades. He really wanted the plan approved. It would clean up the site. They would build nice homes. He thinks they put real effort into it.

Horncastle said no cheap homes are planned. The area is rural. Instead, the builder will pay the council £1.2 million. This money will fund cheap housing elsewhere.

Jeff Reid was on the committee in 2019. He rejected the old plan. He suggested approving this new project. He said the prior plan was awful. Now, a builder sees the site’s potential.

If they don’t act, it stays ugly. Officers found a good way to handle cheap housing needs. When it’s done, go see it. Be happy they helped. It’s going from a disaster to a nice spot. The council voted eleven to one to approve it.