The Newcastle upon Tyne Planning Committee met on 19 September 2025 to discuss several planning applications and appeals. The committee deferred a decision on a proposed roadside service area near Rotary Way in Gosforth, and voted to refuse an application to convert a hotel on Osborne Road into apartments and mews houses. The committee also noted a report on planning appeals.

Land South of Rotary Way, Gosforth

The committee deferred a decision on application 2024/0074/01/DET for the erection of a coffee shop with a drive-through, a filling station, electric vehicle charging facilities, a car wash, and associated infrastructure on land south of Rotary Way in Gosforth. The application had previously been deferred at the planning committee on 29 August. The committee voted to defer the application to a future meeting to seek clarity on the ownership of a pumping station, after a late representation was received from North Brunton Park Management Company Ltd.

The planning officer, B Browell (Development Management) advised the committee that the North Brunton Park Management Company Ltd raised an objection stating that:

That the developer did not have any agreement to connect into the sewerage treatment plant or outfall system or stream that crossed the land owned by North Brunton Park Management Company Ltd. That there was no agreement or register on any of their title from Northumbrian Water that allowed this connection through their land.

B Browell (Development Management) advised that the second point could be resolved with a legal notice.

The committee was told that Northumbrian Water had been consulted as part of the application process and were satisfied with the drainage layout and strategy. Northumbrian Water requested a condition be attached to any planning consent granted so that the development was implemented in accordance with the Drainage Strategy and Calculations document dated May 2025.

Whites Hotel, 38-42 Osborne Road

The committee voted to refuse application 2024/1316/01/DET for the demolition of existing off-shots to the rear of Whites Hotel, the erection of a four-storey extension to the rear of the hotel building, a change of use/conversion of the first and second floors of the existing hotel to create 10 residential apartments, the erection of eight two-storey mews houses to the rear, and associated access, parking, and landscaping.

The planning officer's report cited several reasons for recommending refusal, including:

• Impact on amenity: The development would result in an adverse impact upon the future occupants of the development in terms of noise and activities associated with adjacent ground floor bar uses. The proposed development would also place unreasonable restrictions on these existing bar uses, directly arising from the proposed development.

• Poor design: The design of the rear terraced housing and balconies which serve the rear facing flats would result in poor levels of privacy and outlook to its future occupants to the detriment of their amenity. The development would fail to provide an integrated high quality design and accessible refuse storage provision.

• Highway safety: The design fails to adequately demonstrate that safe and usable servicing arrangements for the development could take place without prejudice to highway safety on the surrounding road network. The design would also fail to provide safe, secure and easily useable cycle parking to serve the development.

Planning Appeals

The committee noted a report on planning appeals. The report Planning Appeals included details of appeals lodged, determined, withdrawn/rejected, and pending.

The report noted that appeals against the refusal of advertisement consent for digital display screens at 93-105 Saint James Boulevard and Advertising Hoarding Adjacent To 84 Station Road, South Gosforth had been dismissed.

An appeal against the refusal of planning permission for partial demolition and rebuilding of a boundary wall and creation of a new driveway at 65 Linden Road, Gosforth was also dismissed. The planning inspector found that the proposal would cause less than substantial harm to the Gosforth Conservation Area, and that the public benefits of the proposal were limited and not sufficient to outweigh the harm.

Forthcoming Site Visits

The committee were advised that the next scheduled site visits would take place on 26 September 2025. The sites to be visited were:

• Royal British Legion Club, 1-3 West Jesmond Avenue, for the demolition of the existing club building and erection of a 4-5 storey apartment building comprising 43 residential units.

• Land Immediately to the North of Walkergate Metro Station Benfield Road, for the erection of a 4-storey 92-bedroom residential care home.