Section One: A spatial portrait of Tynedale
Physical characteristics
1.1 Tynedale is a large rural district in south west Northumberland, covering some 221,000 hectares. Much of the District is upland countryside with just under a quarter being within the Northumberland National Park for which there will be a separate local development framework. The south western part of the District is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These upland areas are dissected in an east – westerly direction by the lower lying Tyne Gap which essentially follows the River Tyne and its tributaries. Kielder Water and Forest are in the north west of the District. The physical characteristics of the District mean that it possesses considerable resources in terms of renewable energy, in particular there is currently significant interest in developing wind energy.
1.2 The A69 trunk road and Newcastle – Carlisle railway run east / west along the Tyne Gap corridor linking the District with Tyneside and the A1(M) / East Coast Railway to the east and Carlisle and the M6 / West Coast Railway to the west. The A69 is part of a Euro route linking Northern Ireland to the Baltic via Tyne Ports. The section from Hexham to the A1(M) is dualled. The A68 provides links to County Durham to the south and Scotland to the north.
1.3 Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle are the three main towns although they are small compared with larger urban areas in the region. The local centres of Allendale, Bellingham, Corbridge and Haydon Bridge also act as key service centres for the rural areas. Beyond these centres and the larger villages of Stocksfield and Wylam there are numerous smaller villages and hamlets across the District. Much of the District however is very sparsely populated with isolated farms and small groups of houses. It is in fact amongst the most sparsely populated districts in the Country with only 0.3 people per hectare compared with a national average of 2.4 per hectare (2001 Census). The more remote west and north of the District is more sparsely populated than the south east (the Commuter Pressure Area) which is home to approximately three quarters of the population.
Population and demographic trends
1.4 The population of Tynedale in 2001 was 58,808, an increase of 2.7% since 1991. This contrasts with the north east region generally which experienced a decline of 2.8%. Population growth is a long term trend in Tynedale, with an increase of 7% between 1981 and 2001 (2001 Census). The growth in population is caused by net in migration, which exceeds a natural decline (more deaths than births). The population has continued to grow (ONS mid 2004 estimate 59,800).
1.5 Population growth has occurred across the District although there are pockets where the population has remained stable or even declined. Prudhoe saw the largest growth in population with a 10% increase between 1991 and 2001 largely due to a significant amount of new house building (2001 Census).
1.6 Tynedale has a relatively old population compared with Northumberland, the North East and the UK generally as the table below shows from the 2001 Census.
Age group |
Tynedale |
N/land |
North East |
UK |
| 0 - 44 years | 54% | 55% | 59% | 60% |
| 45 and over | 46% | 45% | 41% | 40% |
| Pensionable age | 21.1% | 20.5% | 19.2% | 18.5% |
Environmental character
1.7 Tynedale has a rich and diverse natural and built heritage recognised as nationally and internationally important. Approximately a quarter of the area is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The North Pennines has also been recognised for its geological value with designation as a UNESCO European Geopark. The vast majority of the rest of the area has been categorised as of high landscape value. With its history of agriculture and other traditional rural industries the area has not seen largescale industrialisation as in much of the region. While some parts of the main towns have a more urban character, the overwhelming impression of the District is one of unspoilt countryside, including traditional farmland, open moorland and substantial areas of woodland. Other areas of countryside reveal traces of an industrial past. This adds to their unique character. The high quality landscape is one of the key features of Tynedale and has become increasingly important to an economy significantly influenced by tourism.
1.8 The District as a whole has a diverse range of species and natural habitats including those of national and even international importance. The North Pennines special Protection Area (SPA), the Irthinghead Mires Ramsar site and the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) are of international importance. There are six SACs within Tynedale; Tyne and Allen River Gravels, Border Mires/Kielder-Butterburn, North Pennine Moors, River Eden and Roman Wall Loughs. There are 66 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (62% of the area of SSSI is in favourable or unfavourable but recovering condition) and 97 Sites of Nature Conservation Importance along with 6 National Nature Reserves. There are also significant areas of ancient woodland.
1.9 The built heritage of the District is also one of its key assets and helps to make the landscape distinctive. The Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site runs through the District and there are numerous sites of historic and archaeological value. The historic character of many towns and villages remains. Across the District there are 1,841 listed buildings and structures in settlements and in isolated locations. There are 19 Conservation Areas although a number of historic villages do not have this status.
1.10 Changes in the rural economy have led to a number of buildings in the countryside becoming redundant. This often results in a desire to convert the buildings to residential use.
Map of environmental features
1.11 In general terms there is a need to protect and enhance the built and natural environment rather than undertake significant regeneration although there are small pockets of towns and villages where renewal or restoration could help to enhance the appearance of the area.
1.12 The Green Belt covers a significant part of the south east of the District from the boundary with Gateshead and Castle Morpeth along the Tyne Valley to the west of Hexham. The Green Belt was extended to encircle the historic town of Hexham in the Local Plan adopted in 2000.
Housing
1.13 At the 31st March 2006 there were approximately 26,700 dwellings in Tynedale of which 3% were vacant (HIP return). There is a very strong housing market in Tynedale and house prices are significantly above the regional average. Between April and June 2006 the average house price in Tynedale was £210,492 compared with £137,861 in the Northern Region generally. Prices have increased significantly in recent years for instance there has been a 50% increase since April - June 2003 when the average price was £140,252 (Land Registry). As the average annual income for those living in Tynedale was £22,311 in 2005 (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings ONS) there is clearly a significant gap between average incomes and average house prices meaning that many local people are unable to access the private housing market. The Council’s housing register currently has approximately 1,600 households seeking affordable housing. A District wide housing needs survey was published in 2006 and this shows that there is a need for 2,285 additional affordable houses over a five year period (Tynedale Housing Needs Study). Given the level of house prices in relation to incomes and the scale of need for affordable housing there is clearly a very pressing need to maximise the amount of new affordable housing within the framework of planned housing requirements and the limitations of public funding.
1.14 The rate of house building has exceeded that planned by some 25% since 1991, a major factor in the continued population growth that the District has seen. At the same time there remains a significant stock of land with planning permission or allocated for housing. The alteration to the Northumberland Structure Plan adopted in February 2005 provides for a reduced amount of house building in Tynedale up to 2016. Up to 2006 an average of 170 dwellings per year is proposed to reflect current high levels of building and available land. After 2006 the planned rate is an average of 100 dwellings per year. This is necessary to bring the rate of house building down to that needed for a stable population rather than continued growth. The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) will establish housing requirements up to 2021. The Submission version of the RSS sets out a housing requirement for the District of 125 dwellings per year between 2004-2011, 100 per year between 2011-2016 and 80 per year between 2016-2021. The Examination in Public into the RSS was held in March 2006 and the report of the Panel was published in August 2006. In May 2007 the Secretary of State published Proposed Changes to the RSS which will be the subject of further consultations. These incorporate the Panel’s recommendation that the level of housing provision in Tynedale be reduced to 75 dwellings per year up to 2011, 95 per year between 2011 and 2016 and 70 per year between 2016-2021.The situation regarding the amount of housing to be planned for is therefore still to be finalised.
1.15 The adopted Local Plan splits the District into the Commuter Pressure Area (the eastern part of the District around the Tyne Valley) and the Rural Area (the more remote north and west).
The Economy
1.16 There are approximately 22,000 people in Tynedale who are in employment. Of these a relatively high proportion are in part time work, 43.1% compared with the average of 31.8% in the North East. Tourism accounts for 15.7% of those in employment compared with only 8.1% in the North East generally reflecting its importance to the local economy. The manufacturing sector is relatively small, 8.7% compared with 13.8% in the North East generally. Whilst there are only approximately 600 people or 3% employed in agriculture it remains important to the local economy and to environmental character of the area (NOMIS).
1.17 There were 2,500 businesses in Tynedale in 2004. The number of businesses per head of population is relatively high (531 per 10,000 people compared with 227 in the North East generally). Most businesses are small scale with 84% employing 10 or less people and only 4% employing 50 or more (NOMIS). The large employers are concentrated in Hexham and Prudhoe in manufacturing and the public sector.
1.18 The proximity of the major employment centre of Tyneside and the range and quality of jobs available mean that outward commuting continues to be significant particularly in the east of the District. The 2001 Census shows a net outflow of 5,400 people. Newcastle and to a lesser extent Gateshead are the main destinations for work outside of the District. In addition outward commuting to Carlisle occurs on a smaller scale.
1.19 The unemployment rate in Tynedale is relatively low (1.4% June 2006) compared with 3.2% in the North East generally and 2.6% in the UK as a whole (ONS).
1.20 Employment land requirements are established through the Structure Plan and the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy. The alteration to the Northumberland Structure Plan establishes a requirement for at least 30 hectares of employment land in Tynedale up to 2016. The Submission Regional Spatial Strategy sets out provision for up to 55 hectares to 2021. Since 1991 the average rate of development of employment land has been just over 1 hectare per annum (TDC monitoring). Allocated and existing employment land continues to be under pressure for other forms of development, particularly in Hexham for retailing and housing.
Services, facilities and accessibility
1.21 The main towns of Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, and to a lesser extent the local centres of Allendale, Bellingham, Corbridge and Haydon Bridge, act as service centres for their own communities and those in the wider area. Main services and facilities such as middle and high schools and health services along with public transport are focused on these centres. Outside of these centres services are limited and whilst some villages provide for local needs, there are a number of villages without basic facilities such as a school or a shop.
1.22 Many people have to travel to a larger village or town to access basic services. Some higher level or specialist facilities are only found in larger urban areas beyond the District.
1.23 Commercial areas within the main towns and local centres are the focus for many facilities. Monitoring of the health of the three main town centres shows that there are concerns about the vitality and viability of all three main commercial areas due to the strong draw of centres outside the District on the additional money that people have to spend. Nonetheless, Hexham appears in a healthier state than Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, reflecting its central location large catchment and large number of visitors. There is some pressure for retail development in Hexham outside of the town centre, particularly on land allocated for employment development.
1.24 With such a large rural area and scattered settlement pattern, public transport services are limited. The Tyne Valley rail line provides a valuable communication link but bus services are fairly infrequent apart from in the main centres and along main routes. Car ownership rates are very high with 81% of households owning a car compared with the national average of 73% and the regional average of 64%. The majority of people rely on cars to travel to work, schools and shops etc. As a result the use of public transport is limited for example only 5.6% of people in Tynedale travel to work by public transport compared with 14% in the North East generally (2001 Census).