More than a dozen homes can now be built in a rural Derbyshire village after a Government inspector overturned a scheme rejected by councillors.
Plans for 16 houses and two apartments have now been approved at appeal by Government inspector L N Hughes in Clifton Road, Clifton, having been rejected by Derbyshire Dales District Council in October last year.
Councillors had unanimously rejected the scheme from Mrs C Potter following more than 70 objections from residents due to highways safety issues, impact on the countryside and the risk of flooding.
This included fears that it would merge Clifton into an Ashbourne suburb.
However, this rejection has now been overturned because the inspector perceived the benefits of more housing to outweigh the negatives of the scheme.
The inspector had concluded that the development would cause “moderate harm to the intrinsic character and appearance of the local landscape and the setting of Clifton”.
However, they wrote: “I find that the adverse impacts of granting permission would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits in this case, most compellingly the benefit of new housing to meet the council’s overwhelming need for such delivery.”
The appeal report states that the council currently only has 1.36 years of housing land supply through earmarked sites, with a minimum required of five years.
This is while the council undergoes the development of a new Local Plan, a blueprint for new development.
The appeal document details: “The council’s officer report refers that despite the lack of a five-year housing land supply, there are nevertheless substantial allocations, permissions, and new housing provision in the locality, particularly Ashbourne, such that a further 18 dwellings on this site are deemed unnecessary.
“Many local residents make the same point, with reference to hundreds of nearby dwellings granted permission since the application was refused.
“The suggestion that the dwellings are not needed locally, is outweighed by their very evident need across the district.”
Anthony Jones, who has lived in Doles Lane opposite the site for more than 30 years, said the A515 past the site was “one of the most dangerous roads in Derbyshire” and had witnessed a “considerable increase” in vehicle traffic.
One study by residents had clocked 1,055 vehicles going past the village in one hour, including 134 HGVs.
Mr Jones said there had been two fatal accidents in the past six years and claimed the proposed new access would lead to an increase in tail-end collisions.
He said there were no dedicated bus routes serving Clifton and that it did not have any shops, making the village unsustainable due to the reliance on car travel.
Lydia Clare, on behalf of the applicant, said the plans had been revised “to meet community expectations”, and would provide social housing and a “safe connection to the village” which would be “in keeping with the character of the village” and “preserve the village’s unique charm”.
David Brakewell, agent for the applicant, said concerns regarding trees, highways and biodiversity had been resolved, and that the applicant was willing to pay all contributions owed – totalling £85,000 – to counter the impact of the scheme.
He said the site was “clearly outside of the village boundary but it does lie alongside the boundary”, and that there was “clearly a deficit of housing locally”.
