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Councillors make a stand against speculative development
20/05/2022
Officers had recommended granting permission for 9 homes in Great Bourton but Planning Committee members weren’t happy
Planning Committee Councillors at Cherwell District Council have made a stand to protect the district against speculative applications by developers, who may seek to find ways around the rules to build where they want.
The issue was discussed as they overruled an officer’s recommendation to approve plans for new houses on a green field site on the edge of Great Bourton.
The applicant had sought outline permission for up to 9 “first homes”. Normally applications of less than 10 properties size are only considered by planning officers. In this case the Committee Chair, Councillor George Reynolds, had requested the matter be discussed by the committee. He felt this was necessary due to the level of public objection and because he said it would “drive a coach and horses through present policies and open up all villages to speculative applications.”
Under the recent guidance decisions on applications for “first homes” should be weighted in favour of permission being granted. However, Councillors did not agree that this application should proceed, questioning the location, accessibility, what was being proposed as a “first home”.
Councillor Barry Wood said that whilst officers may have looked at whether the application complied with each of the current rules, it was important to sometimes look at these matters with some cynicism and what a decision made today might lead to.
Councillor Wood said: “For me there is a bit of, ‘Hold on – how can we possible get planning permission for this bit of land here. I’ll tell you what we’ll do, we’ll make it for the last government advice on low cost houses. We’ll put half a field in with just a few houses. Let’s go for nine because more than ten automatically goes to the Committee.’
“You start with planning consent for half a field to get the principle of development. Then low and behold what happens to the field next door.”
The application was rejected.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Jean Andrews On 21/05/2022 at 12:51 pm
Thank goodness for seeing what could have lain ahead. Right decision.
Adey Evans On 22/05/2022 at 8:50 am
This should never even have got to Committee in the first instance, they wanted to use Foxden Way as the main thoroughfare, which when we’re walking , we have to stand into the verge to allow fam vehicles or cars to pass. It’s not even wide enough for 2 vehicles to pass by each other at the same time …absolutely absurd. Absolutely correct decision was made.