Plans for 850 new homes rejected by councillors

Plans to build a new housing development of up to 850 homes have been rejected by a council.

The proposed housing estate that would be built near Grange Park, on the outskirts of Northampton, received more than 500 letters of objection and two in support.

The plan was discussed for nearly three hours at a meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee on West Northamptonshire Council at The Forum in Towcester on Tuesday.

Andy Millerchip, a member of Grange Park Parish Council, told the meeting: "Bolting 850 houses around the edge of Grange Park with some really superficial box-ticking community amenities will not work."

"The 1,600 existing houses which form part of a healthy community will become 2,450 houses being part of a disjointed and unhealthy community and a valuable slice of open countryside will be lost," Millerchip, who has been a resident of the area for 18 years, added.

According to planning papers, the development, led by Manor Oak Homes, would be built on 43.6 hectares (107 acres) of agricultural land between Grange Park and Quinton.

As well as the homes, the site would provide a new local centre, land for a new primary school, open space including an extension to the adjacent country park, community allotments and pedestrian and cycle links.

The plans also state that 45% of the residential units, equivalent to 382 homes, would be rented affordably, which is a greater proportion than required by West Northamptonshire Council's policy.

On top of the 534 public objections, six of the neighbouring parish councils and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England have also informed the council of their opposition to the plans.

The concerns raised included the loss of green space, local roads not being able to cope with additional traffic and the destruction of the protective buffer between Northampton and Quinton.

Geoffrey Armstrong, who spoke on behalf of the developers, said: "This application has been before your officers for over three years, which is one of the longest applications I have ever dealt with in my life.

"We discussed all the comments that came in and none was left unresolved.

"To the point that the application before you today has no objections from statutory consultees and is strongly recommended to you."

Officers at the Reform UK-led West Northamptonshire Council had recommended planning permission should be granted.

The report noted a recent decision by the Planning Inspectorate, which concluded that the council could not demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, meaning a "tilted" balance must be applied.

This means any identified harms would have to "significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits", which would push decision makers to weigh more in favour of future residential developments.

A recommendation to approve the development put forward by Labour Group leader Sally Keeble was rejected by councillors by six votes to four.

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