20th Century Planning Records

Planning Department Correspondence 1945-62 - Burradon

From its formation until the Local Government Act came into force in 1974, Burradon and Camperdown were under the jurisdiction of Longbenton Urban District Council. Summarized here are details of surviving correspondence from the Planning Department for the period 1945-62.

OCTOBER 1950 - A request to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, for permission to build a housing estate on agricultural land east of Allanville, Cowans Avenue and Moor View (now the extension of Moor View). The letter is replied to by the District Valuer who is unable to say who owns the land and he makes a request for a report on the possible sterilization of coal. A request is also made to the Surveyor of the Council for consideration of a plan to link Sandy Lane with the Tyne Tunnel road.

1st NOVEMBER 1950 - To Surveyor; after a meeting held on the 30th October, plans can now go ahead for a new housing estate as long as interested parties give permission and there is no direct access onto the proposed Tunnel link road.

8th NOVEMBER 1950 - A letter is received from the Ministry of Agriculture, granting permission for land to be used, providing it is still used for agricultural purposes until building starts.

17th NOVEMBER 1950 - A letter is received from the National Coal Board, indicating they have no objections to the housing estate.

21st NOVEMBER 1950 - A formal planning application is made to the relevant authority.

15th DECEMBER 1950 - A letter is received from the Mineral Valuer, asking that further sterilization of coal be undertaken.

17th MARCH 1951 - The Coal Board write a letter, indicating that part of the area designated for a new housing estate, according to a recent mining report they had commissioned, was lying on the Bensham seam, dug out in 1949, and they did not expect to make it safe until 1956. The Coal Board recommends planning permission should not be given.

13th MARCH 1951 - A letter is received from the District Valuer, requesting sterilization of a small quantity of coal.

5th FEBRUARY 1952 - Another letter is received from the District Valuer, which states: "After mineral reports of March 13th, 1951, the mineral position has been reviewed and I report as follows: several seams of coal underlie the site at shallow to moderate depth, some of which have been partly, or completely excavated many years ago. I am informed that workings in one of the seams beneath the southern part of the land will not be resumed and that operations in the lower remaining seams have not as yet been projected.

In the circumstances I am of the opinion that the risk of damage may reasonably be accepted providing that structural precautions are adopted, such as building in pairs only on strongly reinforced concrete foundations."

1st MAY 1952 - Correspondence with the Surveyor, showing a plan of how the estate is to be constructed. (The original plan was for the houses to built in a cul-de-sac arrangement, with a block of buildings to be used as shops, beside Thompson Avenue.)

31st MAY 1952 - A letter is received from the surveyor, acknowledging a letter stating proposals for a shopping centre and an aged-person's bungalow.

9th AUGUST 1952 - The Planning Department receive a letter, from solicitors, acting on behalf of a client, wishing to build a Lyric cinema and demolish the existing one.

17th JANUARY 1953 - The Planning Department make a request to the Council, for any available land north of the mineral line, on Burradon Road, for the purposes of building a cinema.

14th FEBRUARY 1953 - A return letter from the Coal Board is received, indicating that land on Burradon Road, opposite the Mechanics Institute, has no workings under it and is considered safe.

12th MARCH 1953 - The Planning Department write to the Council, asking permission for a new road to be built at the side of Weetslade Terrace, for the purposes of a new school and cinema building. (These were never built.)

5th MAY 1953 - The Council write to the Planning Department, indicating that the area put aside, on the Allanville-Moor View estate (recently completed), for shops, can be used for a cinema.

27th MAY 1953 - The Planning Department reply to the last correspondence, indicating a preference to having the Burradon Road site for a cinema.

19th JUNE 1953 - The Council respond to the last letter, expressing the opinion that Burradon Road was not a good site for a cinema, it should be more within the community.

29th SEPTEMBER 1956 - The Council write to the Planning Department; an agent has approached them interested in the land behind Weetslade Terrace, for the purposes of building old-people's homes.

9th OCTOBER 1956 - The Planning Department reply to the above, stating that they already have plans to build a school on that particular site (never built).

22nd NOVEMBER 1956 - The Planning Department felt that there was an urgent need for twelve old-person's bungalows. A suitable site had to be found.

3rd JULY 1958 - The Clerks Department write to Planning, submitting plans for a clearing order to demolish property mostly on Weetslade Terrace and Burradon Road, to make way for housing. (There is still a gap where this part of Weetslade Terrace was, the housing never having been built.)

31st JULY 1959 - The Planning Department write to the council, requesting land at the rear of the pit head baths for housing. (Property was not erected here until the 1980s.)

26th OCTOBER 1959 - A reply was received to the above letter, stating that due to imminent colliery closures and not knowing what the land was best suited for, they did not think it a good idea. (The Colliery did not close until 1975.)

9th FEBRUARY 1960 - An application was made to the Coal Board, for the purposes of purchasing land for a slaughterhouse.

29 FEBRUARY 1960 - A meeting was held. Plans were submitted for council housing to be built at the east end of the police house (Moor View) along the line of the new trunk (linking with the Tyne Tunnel). This land had already been designated a green belt area. The imminent Colliery closure, in five to six years time, and the properly laid out township being planned to neighbour Camperdown (Killingworth?) meant a lot of people did not see the need for further development in Burradon.

APRIL 1960 - The police house was newly erected.

1st OCTOBER 1960 - A letter was received from Storey Sons and Parker, surveyors, asking for a suitable site and the likelihood of permission for the building of a petrol station, caravan site or shopping/business premises.

14th OCTOBER 1960 - The Planning Department reply to the above, stating that they did not think this was possible, as land was to be used for residential purposes.

23rd JULY 1962 - A communication was received from the Planning Officer, regarding Weetslade Terrace; stating that a planning objection had been raised at a meeting on July 11th, 1962, to any further development here.