more rural surrounding rather than in long streets of terraced houses and flats and that it is important to ensure the overall maintenance of the rural ambience. They are a separate regime to planning, which has its policies. The 2011 census reveals that the population has seen an increase since 2001 and generally more families. The density of the constituent output areas 33A, 33F, 34A and 34C mirrors urban and suburban areas, with plenty of green spaces and exceptionally in 33A (straying into a small part of the village), a three-year higher median age than in 2001 of 54 and a slightly high dependent dependency ratio of 1.2 and in old age 1.7. Most of the estate falls within 34C which has 1,464 people, a density of 580 per km2 and a median age of 48, one year less than 10 years ago. Civil parish Darras Hall was a civil parish, in 1951 the parish had a population of 282. Darras Hall was formerly a township in Ponteland parish, from 1866 Darras Hall was a civil parish in its own right until it was abolished on 1 April 1955 and merged with Ponteland. Notes and references Notes References Villages in Northumberland Housing estates in England Former civil parishes in Northumberland