A planning inspector has dismissed an appeal for a housing scheme in a Derbyshire town due to design issues after the developers had been hoping to build 132 homes on sloping greenfield land.
Labour-led NE Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee originally refused W. Redmile and Sons Ltd’s planning application for the housing scheme with highways, landscaping and works on land near Burns Drive, Southfield Drive and Chesterfield Road, in Dronfield.
But after the developers lodged an appeal concerned residents had to endure a long wait before a Government-appointed Planning Inspector formally dismissed the matter on a number of grounds including design issues.
Alex Dale, Conservative County Councillor for Dronfield and Unstone and NE Derbyshire District Councillor for the neighbouring Unstone Ward, said: “This is a huge result for local residents and a really important example of what can be achieved when communities stand together.
“We’ve been clear from the start that this proposal was not right for Dronfield. The design was out of keeping with the area, the impact on neighbours was unacceptable, and there was little thought given to how affordable housing would be delivered properly.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the many residents who made their voices heard during every stage of the process and to the council’s planning and legal teams for defending the decision so effectively at the hearing.”
The proposed scheme, which would have been near homes on Burns Drive and Southfield Mount, included plans for a mix of between one and six bedroom homes with 30per cent classed as affordable housing, and a proposed underground drainage tank on Green Belt land with ‘biodiversity enhancement’.
It attracted 66 letters of objection for the council to consider with concerns about the potential strain on GPs, the environmental impact, traffic safety and congestion, drainage issues, the scheme’s design, the loss of greenfield land and the loss of a gap between Dronfield and Unstone, as well as the impact of odours from a nearby waste-water treatment works.
Conservative District Cllr William Jones, who oversees Dronfield South, said the scheme attracted a ‘groundswell of concern’ and it involved a naive design without the right mix of properties and there are worries about the existing water works and the planned sewage system.
And Cllr Dale highlighted previous flooding at nearby Unstone and that Dronfield residents have suffered with odours from the water treatment works and that the developers had not fully considered drainage solutions.
One objector described the plan as ‘unacceptable’ and an ‘outrage’ as he claimed the scheme had not included a proper drainage system and housing would have been within 400 metres of a sewage system.
Agent Michael Edgar, representing the developers, had argued the site falls in the council’s Local Plan and the scheme was appropriate for the area with mixed housing and that it met the biodiversity net gain targets while offering substantial financial support for the area’s infrastructure.
Yorkshire Water and Derbyshire County Council’s highways and flood teams had also raised no objections despite initial concerns from the county council’s flood team.
However, the council’s planning committee refused permission for the scheme in September, last year, on the grounds of its design on a hill near to the gateway of Dronfield, the loss of Green Belt to a drainage tank without sufficient improvements, and due to the site’s unacceptable ‘relationship’ with existing properties.
And the Planning Inspector has now also dismissed the developers’ appeal concluding the scheme’s design would cause lasting harm to the character and appearance of the area and to living conditions, that there would be significant overlooking and amenity loss, and it would create an imbalance in housing and affordable housing in terms of size, types.
The inspector had raised a number of concerns including the road layout creating a harsh urbanised effect, parking arrangements, the lack of improvements to support cyclists, and a limited connectivity through the site.
Cllr Jones said: “This was a team effort from start to finish. A group of residents worked incredibly hard over many weeks to make sure the Inspector had all the information she needed to see the problems with this scheme.
“I was proud to support them in that process and to speak alongside them and councillor colleagues at the hearing
“It’s absolutely right that we expect the highest standards from developers. This appeal being dismissed sends a clear message that poor quality schemes won’t be tolerated.”
Two Conservative Dronfield Town Councillors Angelique Foster and Marie Ireland, who represent the Dronfield South Ward, welcomed the outcome and reiterated their commitment to continuing to oppose any inappropriate development in Dronfield.
Cllr Foster said: “We have a long history of standing against inappropriate development and we’ll continue to stand with residents to oppose housing that fails to respect the landscape and community.”
Cllr Dale warned the same site is still allocated for housing in the district council’s adopted Local Plan and the developer has submitted proposals for a larger expansion of the site in the new draft Local Plan that is currently being formulated.
And Cllr Ireland said: “We hope this clear and justified decision makes the developer think again and, if they do come back, that it’s with a scheme far more sensitive to Dronfield’s needs and character.”
