- The District Local Plan sets out the Council's proposals for the development of land and buildings over the period up to 2006, together with its policies for the protection and enhancement of towns, villages, countryside and the coast in such a way that the needs of development, the environment and those of future generations are equitably met, thereby supporting the principal of environmentally sustainable development. The Plan is being produced in consultation with the County Council and conforms generally with strategic policies set out in the Northumberland County Council Structure Plan, which was adopted in May 1996.

- The Plan addresses issues in a series of topic chapters which set out policies Borough wide and are then considered in detail as appropriate in individual settlement chapters. The main proposals in the topic chapters are set out as follows:-

- All forms of development and change have resources implications, in that resources of varying scarcity are often used up or diminished in the process. The Council recognises that care has to be taken to protect and husband such finite resources and seeks to encourage alternative infinitely renewable solutions that do not damage the environment in which we live.

- In moving towards a policy framework that promotes development and issues that are environmentally sustainable the Local Plan contains policies relating to energy conservation and the reduction of "greenhouse gas" emissions, the promotion of renewable energy resources such as wind power and the protection and conservation of water supplies and water quality. The Local Plan also contains policies concerning the control of pollution and the future use of contaminated land.

- The Council recognises that the Borough's environment contains many features of natural attractiveness, ranging from moor and uplands, wooded river valleys to the coastline at Druridge Bay, and is concerned to retain and enhance its rural environment. The towns of Morpeth and Ponteland and many villages are also attractive, with historic buildings and country houses a particular feature of the Borough.

- The Plan contains a policy which identifies boundaries to all significant settlements in the Borough, allowing for development and growth during the Plan period and protecting from inappropriate development the open countryside, within which areas of particular landscape value are identified as being worthy of special protection. The Council welcomes the inclusion of the Druridge Bay area within the Northumberland Heritage Coast and proposes policies to protect, manage and enhance the Bay's natural qualities. All sites designated as having historic, scientific or nature conservation value are proposed for protection from inappropriate development and the Plan also contains policies for the identification and protection of landscape and wildlife corridors throughout the Borough.

- The southern part of the Borough lies within the North Tyneside Green Belt and the Council is conscious of the important functions of Green Belt designation in protecting the countryside and preventing the expansion and coalescing of settlements around the Tyneside conurbation and in the valley of the River Tyne. Policies in the Plan maintain and reinforce protection against inappropriate development. The Council proposes modifications to the Green Belt to rationalise boundaries around the villages of Heddon on the Wall, Stamfordham and Stannington. At Newcastle Airport the Council, in conjunction with Newcastle City Council proposes a "window" in the Green Belt to facilitate the proper development and growth of the airport complex.

- At Ponteland, the Council proposes that the 600 acres of "white land" to the west of Darras Hall be included within the Green Belt, with the exception of the settlement of Medburn, where a significant expansion of the community there is proposed. Elsewhere around Ponteland amendments to the Green Belt boundary proposed in the Ponteland Local Plan are repeated, the most significant of which is to exclude from the Green Belt land to the east of the village, at Eland Lane and Fairney Edge where housing development has recently been undertaken and where a further modest allocation of land is proposed. The new boundary to the Green Belt will define a strong and permanent boundary to the settlement in this area.

- The Plan contains policies relating to agriculture, farm buildings, and their conversion for other appropriate uses.

- The Council is extremely concerned that opencast coal mining has seriously affected and continues to have a significant impact on the environment and landscape of the coastal plain in the northeast part of the Borough. A discussion of the issues is contained within the text of the Local Plan.

- With regard to the built environment, the Council proposes investigation of new Conservation Areas at Cresswell, Kirkheaton, Mitford and Stannington, together with the extension of the Morpeth Conservation Area. The Plan contains policies relating to design, advertisements, street furniture, shop front security and design within Conservation Areas, together with the impact of modern technology, particularly satellite dishes, telecommunication masts and wind power.

- The Plan allocates land for all types of housing over a fifteen year period up to 2006, and contains general proposals for the phasing of development, identifying sites which are considered appropriate for development over a period of time, or are not likely to be available until towards the end of the Plan period, ie, between 2001 and 2006.

- Land is identified for the construction of 2,500 new dwellings over the period 1991 – 2006 (See housing chapter).

- The Plan contains policies concerning local authority, special executive and social needs housing; and to control development within settlements, in the Green Belt and in the open countryside. The conversion of buildings to dwellings and the design of buildings and extensions are also the subject of policies in the Plan.

- The Council has considered the proposition of catering for housing developments in "new villages" but is satisfied that these are not appropriate during the Plan period.

- The existing economic situation is assessed to provide a series of broad objectives relating to maintaining and improving the economy of the Borough. Policies identify land for employment and office development, mainly in and around Morpeth. Significant sites proposed are at Fairmoor, Morpeth and north of Newcastle Airport. Environmental improvements are being undertaken at Linton Lane, Linton and workshop development is proposed at the former pithead area there. Small workshop developments are also proposed at Longhorsley and Scots Gap.

- The Council has recently produced a portfolio of sites with potential for office development and these are mainly located in Morpeth, though there is also a potential office site at Pegswood. Other sites may be proposed during the Plan-making process. The conversion of buildings for employment development has been successfully carried out at several rural locations over the past decade. The Council has encouraged such developments and will consider further proposals for this type of employment development against general development control criteria.

- The Plan contains policies relating to tourism development projects, from hotels and self-catering accommodation to caravan and camp sites, although there are no site-specific policies in the plan. The current economic climate does not encourage this type of develop­ment and there are several sites in the Borough with planning permission for hotel development where work has not started.

- The Plan allocates a new site in Morpeth for shopping development, at Back Riggs, as part of a comprehensive redevelopment scheme. The Council considers that improved shops and retail development at this location will complement the existing shopping facilities in the town centre and enhance the overall attractiveness, vitality and viability of Morpeth as a market town shopping centre.

- The Council considers that major out-of-town retail developments would be inappropriate within the Borough and supports the County Council's strategic presumption against such proposals.

- Widdrington Station is identified as the only significant settlement in the Borough without adequate shopping facilities and a local shopping centre is proposed there, in conjunction with employment, community and recreational facilities.

- The Plan contains proposals for the enhancement of existing shopping areas, such as Back Riggs and Sanderson's Arcade in Morpeth, Merton Way and Castle Court in Ponteland and at Hadston.

- The Council recognises that shops in small settlements and associated with diversified farming activities assist in maintaining the vitality of rural communities.

- Traffic volumes have increased substantially over the past 20 years and national forecasts are for this trend to continue. Car ownership in the Borough tends to be higher than regionally and two-car households are increasingly commonplace. However, only Morpeth experiences significant traffic congestion in its central area and accordingly the major highway proposals are in and around Morpeth town. Highways proposals also are important in providing access to land with potential for development and in such cases, can be substantially funded by development agencies. Proposals for new roads in the Morpeth area are:-

The A1/South East Northumberland Link Road.

- In the town centre schemes are proposed to manage traffic, and improve access to properties; and a car parking strategy will be prepared.

- Elsewhere in the Borough bypass road schemes are proposed to take through traffic out of smaller settlements which lie on primary traffic routes or where significant volumes of heavy goods vehicle traffic are generated locally. Bypasses are proposed for Belsay, Pegswood and Ponteland, and improvements to the minor road providing strategic link between the B6318 and A69 at Iron Sign.

- The Council supports the A1 Safelink Campaign including the dualling of the A1 north of Morpeth and junction improvements throughout the length of the A1 within the Borough. Proposals for minor road improvements which will assist in improving safety and the free-flow of traffic are also contained in the Plan.

- With regard to public transport, the Council's policy is to encourage the maintenance and development of good public transport services throughout the Borough.

- The Council encourages the provision of land and buildings for sport and recreation throughout the Borough and will support proposals for greater community use of existing facilities, the provision of local community facilities and their upgrading where appropriate.

- The Plan contains policies relating to proposals for golf courses, and all types of countryside activities both organised and informal and makes provision for the improvement of public access to and enjoyment of the countryside.

- The Council is concerned that, in defining boundaries to settlements, there may be pressure for development on open spaces within those settlements and it will protect from development spaces which add to the amenity of communities.

- The Council has as an objective the maintenance and development of land in the valley of the Wansbeck to the west of Morpeth as an informal country park. It will pursue this objective through policies in the Plan and will also seek to acquire woodland and wildlife habitats both in this area and throughout the Borough so as to maintain their conservation value and to manage public access.

- In seeking to implement its Local Plan policies the Council is aware that resources available to it are severely limited and that public spending is rigorously monitored by Central Government. Nevertheless it considers that those policies requiring significant financial investment can be achieved over the plan period through private sector investment and European Community Development Funding, in addition to direct local authority expenditure. In particular, the Morpeth Partnership aims to co-ordinate proposals for the development and enhancement of the town of Morpeth.