The National Renewable Energy Centre Narec Test Site Albert Street Blyth Northumberland NE24 1LZ Data via plota.co.uk

25/04567/FUL - Full Application Approved

Proposal

Erection of bespoke manufacturing unit for drive train testing facility including test hall, office space, plant room, external equipment compound with associated access and infrastructure Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked 24 Aug 2026, 09:20

Street View

Application progress

✓

Received

18 Dec 2025

✓

Validated

8 Jan 2026

✓

Consultation

8 Jul 2026

✓

Approved

8 Jul 2026

Approved on 8 Jul 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 1 Aug 2026

Documents 21

Decision & officer reports 1

PDF Decision Notice Decision Notice · 8 Jul 2026 View ↗

Application forms 1

PDF Application Form Application Form · 17 Dec 2025 View ↗

Consultation & comments 18

Site constraints 9

South Bents to Amble across the site

Matters where it crosses or adjoins the site; the route and its margin are protected.

Coal mining development high risk area

Recorded coal mining features at or near the surface. Most planning applications here need a coal mining risk assessment.

From the Mining Remediation Authority, formerly the Coal Authority. The development high risk area marks recorded coal mining features at or near the surface: mine shafts and adits, shallow workings, mine gas and former opencast sites. Most planning applications there need a coal mining risk assessment; householder applications, changes of use and some minor works are exempt. Mine entry positions come from old plans and can be out by several metres, and unrecorded workings can exist anywhere in the coalfield.

Coal mining risk assessments ↗

In flood zones plus climate change

Inside the extent flood zones 2 and 3 could reach with climate change: the Central allowance for the 2080s on rivers, the Upper End allowance for sea level rise to 2125. From the sea. Defences are not counted.

The Environment Agency flood map for planning. Councils use it to decide when a flood risk assessment and the sequential test are needed. It is indicative and does not show whether a particular property will flood.

Flood map ↗

Special protection area 53 m away: Northumberland Marine

Work nearby can need a habitats assessment.

Harm to a protected site is only accepted where there is no alternative and an overriding public interest.

National infrastructure project 564 m away: Port Blyth New Biomass Plant

The site is 564 m from the project boundary. Generating station, decided. The project page says whether consent was granted.

Nationally significant infrastructure projects (power stations, electricity lines, pipelines, major roads and railways, harbours, airports and reservoirs) are consented by a Secretary of State under the Planning Act 2008, after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the council. The boundary is the one the Inspectorate consults on and can change as the scheme does. Projects are shown within 2 km of the site.

Planning Inspectorate project page ↗

Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2

Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.

Also on the record

Radon affected area, class 2; SSSI 366 m away: Northumberland Shore SSSI; Inside the Blyth (Northumberland) built-up area.

Not affected

Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Mining Remediation Authority, the Planning Inspectorate, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council: Northumberland (County)
Application type: Full Application
Postcode: NE24 1LZ
Received: 18 Dec 2025
Validated: 8 Jan 2026
Ward: Croft
Parish: Blyth
Case officer: Show
Target decision: 5 Feb 2026
Decision: Application Permitted
Decision date: 8 Jul 2026
Decision level: Delegated Decision
Applicant: Show
Agent: Lichfields

How this decision compares

Decided in 181 days from validation, 125 days slower than Northumberland (County)'s median of 56 for commercial and major works. Approved, as 87% of commercial and major works here are.

This one181d

Council56d

UK57d

55%decided within 8 weeks

87%approved

111decided in the last year

Plota live figures for commercial and major works decided by Northumberland (County) in the last twelve months, from validation. Northumberland (County) decision record →

Public comments

1comment received

1 supporting

62 neighbours consulted · Last counted 1 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference: PP-14552720
Planning Portal ref: PP-14552720
Neighbours: 9 Jan 2026
Consultation: 8 Jul 2026
Comments by: 8 Jul 2026
Site or press notice: 14 Jan 2026
Statutory expiry: 5 Feb 2026
Env. assessment: No

Historical activity at this location

2 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2019 Approved

Offshore House Albert Street Blyth NE24 1LZ

Single storey extension to an existing 3 storey office building as amended by drawings re…

19/01997/FUL 16 Sep 2019

2016 Approved

Blade Test Facility Narec Test Site Albert Street Blyth Northumberland NE24 1LZ

Lawful Development Certificate for Proposed Development: Erection of temporary bearing te…

16/02198/CLPROP 2 Sep 2016

Northumberland (County)

Planning Authority Score

3.8/10

Below average

#207 of 296 councils

Relevant to this application:

Householder decisions

Northumberland (County) ranks #167 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. 47% of applications have the time limit extended, above the 41% national average. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (91%) than the national average (90%).

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance

Northumberland (County) decision statistics

Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026

88%

Overall approval rate

Above avg (87%) #158 of 296

91%

Householder approved

Above avg (90%) #178 of 296

62%

Decided in 8 weeks

Below avg (63%) #167 of 296

47%

Extended time limit

Above avg (41%) #210 of 296

80%

Minor dwellings approved

223 decided (1-9 homes)

89%

Major dwellings approved

36 decided (10+ homes)

86%

Change of use approved

71 decided

2,013

Total decisions

233 refused in the year to March 2026