2,000-home Ponteland garden village plans submitted with backing from top architect

An outline planning application for a 2,000 home garden village in Northumberland has been submitted, with backing from a prominent architect from the region.Newcastle’s Lugano Property Group wants to build housing and other facilities on land at Dissington, near Ponteland , but faces strenuous local opposition from people saying that local services will not be able to cope with the added population.Northumberland County Council earlier this year backed an expression of interest submitted by Lugano to the Government to become one of the 12 new garden villages Ministers want to see built.Now the company has submitted plans for around 2,000 homes, of which it says 600 will be affordable and will include starter homes and supported housing for the elderly.Education, leisure, medical, retail and employment facilities are also part of the plan, while there would be 130 hectares of public open space and landscaping, with sports pitches, parkland, allotments and walking and cycle routes.