Fellgate Ponds landowner reveals real motive for controversial land sale at centre of protests
The owner of the Fellgate Ponds site has revealed why he’s selling up - amid protests about the move.
A landowner looking to sell a South Tyneside beauty spot has confirmed he hopes it will be turned over to housing – netting him a financial windfall.
Trevor Crawford, 73, revealed he stood to make £125,000 from the direct sale of Fellgate Ponds and a further 50 percent of any increase in the land’s value if housing goes up.
He bought the five-acre plot at Fellgate, Jarrow, in 1987 with the intention of selling for house building but admitted market conditions had never been right.
But Mr Crawford, who later ran a Post Office and is now retired, said age was against him and it was time he looked to offload.
In the same transaction four decades ago, he purchased an adjoining building which he converted into the current Lakeside pub, which he sold in 1996.
Sale price for Fellgate Ponds site
Both sit close to 200 hectares of green belt farmland that could controversially also be turned over to housebuilding, a plan now subject to a government-led public inquiry.
He revealed his sale plans after land agent Bradley Hall put the site on the market for £125,000.
Mr Crawford, who lives in Washington, confirmed two prospective buyers had already come forward.
And he said: “I always wanted to build houses on it. I bought it to sell for houses. We need more houses in South Tyneside.
“If somebody buys it and gets planning permission, I get 50 percent of the increase in value over the next five or six years.
“I’d hoped the green belt would change to my advantage, but it hasn’t, so I’ve decided to sell.
“I used to own the Lakeside pub and sold it but kept this land, hoping to build houses. I think a buyer would buy it to get planning permission to build homes.”
‘Time is running out’
Mr Crawford added: “It’s very desirable because it’s in the centre for housebuilding. I’m 73 now and time is running out.
“I get half the value of the land with planning permission. I’d be quite happy if cheap houses were put there, not four-bed ones.”
Mr Crawford said the ponds at Fellgate were man-made and installed by the previous owner and at just three feet deep could easily be redeveloped.
Late last year, environmentalists called for Fellgate Ponds to be better managed following attacks on swans and vandalism.