Plans for a new family home on the outskirts of one of Northumberland's most scenic villages have been narrowly approved by councillors.
Despite council planners recommending the plans for refusal, members of North Northumberland's Local Area Committee voted by five votes to three to approve the plans for the new home in Bamburgh, with two other councillors choosing to abstain from the vote.
Despite falling foul of planning officers, the proposals had the support of the local parish council.
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Speaking at Thursday's meeting, Bamburgh Parish Council chairman Andrew Bardgett said the parish council was "strongly" in support, while applicant Steve Cole said: "We have elderly parents who live in the village and need our support.
"We would be the fourth generation to live in the village."
Mr Cole added that he would be happy to make a section 106 contribution to the council's coastal mitigation scheme.
Despite this, councillors said they were struggling to come to a decision.
Coun Trevor Thorne said: "I'm struggling with this application, I'm very much on the fence. It's against the local plan and the neighbourhood plan, but the parish council are speaking strongly in favour, as is the local member and the AONB [Area of Natural Beauty] partnership.
"But, does it represent special reasons to allow this? I'm struggling to put my tick behind the approval box."
However, local ward member Coun Guy Renner Thompson explained that he felt the development was one the village needed, and even called on other councillors to show Christmas spirit.
He said: "I would implore you to allow it. Bamburgh needs more people. They have lost the school many years ago, there's no post office and the village shop is still there - but it needs people to keep it going.
"The parish council are adamant in their support of this. The parish council wrote the neighbourhood plan.
"Every application has to be seen on its own merit, and this one has its own merits. It will bring new life into a village which desperately needs it. I would implore you, in your Christmas spirit, to approve this application."
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