The county must plan for about 1,700 homes a year, roughly double the current Local Plan. What that means for the Green Belt, and the schemes already moving.

Northumberland is writing a new Local Plan, and the headline number in it is one the council has not tried to soften. Under the Government’s mandatory housing targets, the county has to plan for around 34,000 homes over twenty years, about 1,700 a year. Its own Cabinet report calls that “approximately double the housing requirement in the current Local Plan” and adds that “housing has rarely been delivered at this scale in the County”.

The council’s conclusion follows from that arithmetic: “it is likely that all settlements will experience growth” (Northumberland County Council Cabinet, 7 April 2026).

Where the new Local Plan has got to

Northumberland is not starting from a weak position. The council notes it is one of only around a third of local authorities with an up-to-date Local Plan, the current Northumberland Local Plan 2016 to 2036 having been adopted in 2022. It is replacing that plan because national policy has changed, not because the old one lapsed.

The dates so far, all from the council’s own record:

  • 7 April 2026: Cabinet approves the timetable for a new Local Plan under the reformed plan-making system.
  • 16 April 2026: the council gives formal notice of its intention to start preparing a new Local Plan, and a Housing Design Standards Supplementary Plan alongside it.
  • 20 May to 1 July 2026: the Local Plan Scoping Consultation runs, seeking views on the key issues, priorities and how the council should engage. This consultation has now closed.
  • By November 2026: the statutory deadline by which the council is required to give notice of plan making. Northumberland moved early, in April.

Plan making officially starts no sooner than four months after notification. The council has given its Executive Director of Place and Regeneration delegated authority to run the process, which it says puts it in a position to work at pace, though the Local Plan itself must be adopted by a meeting of Full Council.

Northumberland's new housing requirement against the current Local Plan Chart comparing Northumberland's housing requirement. The current Local Plan for 2016 to 2036, adopted in 2022, requires roughly half the new figure. The new mandatory target is about 1,700 homes a year, or around 34,000 homes over twenty years, which the council describes as approximately double the current requirement. Below the chart, a timeline shows Cabinet approval on 7 April 2026, notice of intention on 16 April 2026, the scoping consultation from 20 May to 1 July 2026 now closed, and the statutory November 2026 deadline for giving notice of plan making. The housing requirement roughly doubles Northumberland County Council Cabinet report, 7 April 2026. Current Local Plan 2016 to 2036, adopted 2022 about half the new figure New mandatory target standard method, new plan ~1,700 homes a year Around 34,000 homes over a twenty-year plan period. 7 Apr 2026 Cabinet approves the timetable 16 Apr 2026 Notice of intention to prepare a new plan 20 May to 1 Jul 2026 Scoping consultation (now closed) By Nov 2026 Statutory deadline to give notice of plan making Where the plan has got to Plan making officially starts no sooner than four months after notification. Northumberland has the largest extent of Green Belt of any local authority, and must now identify lower-performing "grey belt". Within Northumberland National Park, the park authority is the planning authority, not the county council. The Local Plan must be adopted by a meeting of Full Council.
The new mandatory housing requirement against the current Local Plan, and where the new plan has reached.

The Green Belt question

This is the part that will decide where the 34,000 homes go. Northumberland has the largest extent of Green Belt of any local authority in the country. The current Local Plan defends it, in the council’s words, “in line with political and community wishes expressed during its development and adoption”.

The council now says that position “cannot sustain”. National policy has changed, and as part of preparing the plan the council is required to assess the Green Belt and identify “grey belt”, a new term for Green Belt land that performs less well against national criteria. Grey belt should be released first and gets reduced protection in decision making.

The council’s own summary of where this lands: “it is likely that there will be developments on land that is currently in the Northumberland Green Belt (albeit this will represent a very small fraction of the overall Green Belt)”. Where land is released, a higher proportion of affordable homes will be required.

What it means for you. If you live in the Green Belt ring around Ponteland, Cramlington and the Newcastle fringe, the question is no longer whether any of it is developable but which parts get classified as grey belt. That assessment is being done now, and it is the thing to watch for in the next round of consultation.

The council also gives a blunt warning about the gap before the new plan is adopted: changes in national policy this year “will likely result in development coming forward on sites and in settlements that are not planned for in the current Local Plan, nor in existing Neighbourhood Plans”. In plain terms, speculative applications are expected while the plan is being written.

The biggest scheme in the county: the Cambois data centre

The single largest development in Northumberland is not housing. QTS, owned by Blackstone, has permission for a data centre campus of up to 540,000 square metres at Cambois, near Blyth, an inward investment of up to £10 billion and one of the largest in the UK.

  • Planning permission granted March 2025.
  • Approval for preparatory works given in August 2025: site compound, vegetation clearance, perimeter fence repairs and earthworks.
  • The scheme uses QTS’s closed loop water cooling system.
  • Jobs: hundreds of long-term operational roles, 1,200 long-term construction jobs over several years, and potentially up to 2,700 indirect or induced jobs.
  • As part of the deal, the county council receives a £110 million fund to invest in growth and employment along the economic corridor following the new Northumberland Line.

That £110 million is the direct link between the county’s biggest development and its newest railway, which now runs through Bedlington and Blyth Bebside a few miles from the site. Journey times and fares on that line are on our Northumberland train times page.

Other decisions worth knowing

Alnwick and Denwick Neighbourhood Plan. A revised draft Neighbourhood Plan covering the two parishes to 2036 has been submitted to the county council for independent examination. Comments closed on 7 August 2026. If the plan is “made”, it becomes part of the statutory development plan for Northumberland and replaces the existing Alnwick and Denwick plan, which means future planning decisions in those parishes have to align with it.

Affordable housing. The council reports 2,470 affordable homes built across the county since 2017, with a further 1,130 with planning permission and due to be built. The most recent start is at Embleton, where work began in August 2026 on four affordable rental homes on council-owned brownfield land on the Greyfields Estate, a £1.17 million scheme supported by £475,000 from the council’s S106 Housing Developer Fund. Two 2-bedroom bungalows and two 2-bedroom semi-detached houses, all with air source heat pumps and solar panels. Because of the location they will be let under the council’s Rural Allocations Policy, which gives preference to applicants who have lived or worked in Embleton parish or an adjoining parish for three years or more.

Two things that trip people up

The National Park is a different planning authority. Northumberland National Park Authority is the statutory local planning authority for the area inside the park, which covers the Cheviots, much of the Hadrian’s Wall corridor and the country around Kielder. If your property is inside the park boundary, applications go to the park authority and its planning register, not the county council’s.

Neighbourhood Plans carry real weight. Once made, they form part of the statutory development plan, so in parishes that have one, the local policies are what decisions are tested against.

How to follow the planning record yourself

Frequently asked questions

How many new homes does Northumberland have to build?

The new Local Plan must make room for around 34,000 homes over twenty years, about 1,700 a year. The council describes this as approximately double the requirement in the current Local Plan.

Why has Northumberland’s housing target gone up?

National planning policy was reformed to require local authorities to plan for mandatory housing targets calculated by a standard method. Northumberland’s figure rose as a result, not because of a local decision.

Will Northumberland’s Green Belt be built on?

Some of it, on the council’s own assessment. Northumberland has the largest Green Belt of any local authority, and the council says its previous position defending it “cannot sustain” under current national policy. It must identify lower-performing “grey belt” land for release first, though it expects the total released to be “a very small fraction” of the Green Belt.

Has the Local Plan consultation closed?

Yes. The Scoping Consultation ran from 20 May to 1 July 2026 and has closed. You can register on the council’s consultation portal to be notified when the next stage opens.

When will the new Northumberland Local Plan be adopted?

No adoption date is fixed. The council is required to give notice of plan making by November 2026 and did so in April 2026; formal plan making starts no sooner than four months after notification, and adoption requires a vote of Full Council after evidence gathering, consultation and examination.

What is happening at Cambois?

QTS, owned by Blackstone, is building a data centre campus of up to 540,000 square metres, an investment of up to £10 billion. Permission was granted in March 2025 and enabling works were approved in August 2025. The council receives a £110 million fund as part of the deal.

Who decides planning applications in Northumberland National Park?

Northumberland National Park Authority, which is the statutory local planning authority for the area within the park boundary. The county council handles everywhere else.

Sources

Planning positions change as the new Local Plan progresses. Check the council’s own Local Plan pages and the Public Access portal for the current position before relying on anything here.