Great News!
The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed the appeal by Landcrest Developments Ltd to build 23 new homes on land behind 100 High Street. This is the second time the Planning Inspectorate has dismissed an appeal to build homes on this site.
The Planning Inspectors Report indicated that the appeal was dismissed for the following reasons:
- “The proposal would cause harm to the character and appearance of the area, in conflict with Policies HQ1, HQ8 and EE5 of the CBLP, which together require high quality developments that relate well to the existing local surroundings and reinforce local distinctiveness, both built and natural, in terms of the scale and pattern of the surrounding landscape and existing settlement form; and which resist backland development where they are against the existing pattern and grain of development and the character and appearance of the area would be harmed. Given my findings on this issue, there would be consequent conflict with Policy SP7 and the proposal would not therefore represent a suitable location for housing.”
- “There would also be conflict with the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) which sets out that good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, creates better places in which to live and work and helps make development acceptable to communities.”
- Central Bedfordshire Council “can demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable housing sites, and it being common ground that the policies of the development plan are consistent with the Framework and up-to-date, the presumption in favour of sustainable development set out at Paragraph 11 of the Framework is not engaged. The proposal therefore falls to be determined against the development plan, having regard to relevant material considerations.”
- “material considerations in this case, taken cumulatively, are not sufficient to outweigh the identified conflict with the development plan, and do not indicate that planning permission should be forthcoming in spite of this conflict.”