At the meeting of Grimsargh Parish Council’s Planning Sub-Committee on Monday 25th April, it was decided that we will object to Wainhomes application for a further 70 homes off Ribblesdale Drive, planning application number 06/2016/0258
In our view, the primary areas of contention are:
- Contravenes planning policy: Wainhomes argue that PCC cannot demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land, which, if correct, would render the Local Plan "out of date". The inspector in the examination of the Preston Local Plan (PLP) last year concluded that PCC could demonstrate a 5 year housing supply – and accordingly the PLP was adopted in July 2015. This has been further strengthened by the latest appeal decision, in the case of Ingol Golf Course, where another Inspector also concluded that PCC could demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land. This must be one of the appeal hearings that Wainhomes reference in their documentation as being “awaited” - now concluded. Therefore there is a very robust claim that PCC are well able to demonstrate a 5 year housing land supply. Therefore, all the policies in the Core Strategy and the PLP cannot be considered out of date and are valid.
- Of these planning policies, it is our view that the following are the ones most pertinent to this application:
- The adopted Central Lancashire Core Strategy Policy 1.
- Adopted Local Plan Policy EN 1
- Adopted Local Plan Policy AD1 (b)
- Access road is not suitable for the 64 houses already agreed, never mind an additional 70.
- The building works accessing such a small road is not suitable for the construction activity
- Proximity to SSSI and Ancient Woodland (abutts the SSSI
- The access road is not suitable for the 64 houses already agreed, and this would be further compounded by the addtion of a further 70 properties
- The building works accessing such a small road is not suitable for the construction activity required - which has been amply demonstrated throughout the past few months with the existing construction traffic.
- The proximity to SSSI and Ancient Woodland (abuts the SSSI)
- Drainage – current arrangements are not satisfactory for the present housing - a number of properties recently floded - which will be exacerbated by the additional housing.
- Local medical facilities are over-subscribed
- Cumulative planning applications in Longridge are causing totally unacceptable journey delays at peak times through the village - this development would make this situation even worse.
Our Clerk, Sue Whittam will be compiling a robust response from the Parish Council to the application and it will contain the above key points, with some embellishment.
Should you wish to submit your own response to the planning application (and we hope you will), you can do so in one of three ways:
- Writing: Planning Department, Preston City Council, Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL
- By email: devcon@preston.gov.uk
- Online: you can go to the planning application on the City Council's website. There is a button "Make a comment on this application"
Submissions should be in by 5th May.
Any adult (over 18) may submit a response to the planning application. Our experience is that separate individual letters/emails/online responses count, not petitions or copied letters.
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