Homes planned for ‘desolate site’

Council accepts that marketing land for business is waste of time

A former garden centre car park which has been plagued by flytipping, weekend raves and lorry drivers relieving themselves will be developed with housing.

Planning officers had recommended the nine-home scheme be refused at the Wyevale site in London Road, Harbledown, saying it should be occupied by businesses.

But villagers told planning committee members on Tuesday that agents had long-exhausted any hope of securing commercial use on the site.

Most of the land is already being developed with housing but the remainder is earmarked for business units.

Chairman of the Upper Harbledown Association Nick Parker told councillors it “made no sense” to reject the plans.

He said: “Over the last 12 years this site has been a thorn in our side. The proposal for commercial units means it will continue to be an eyesore and attract the wrong sort of people.

“Several local residents feel their houses are blighted and the site has become a toilet for lorry drivers climbing over the fence on the adjacent lay-by on the A2.

“No one in the village objects to these additional houses and the only objection comes from the planning team at the city council.”

Janet Larkinson, of Harbledown and Rough Common Parish Council, added: “We have been trying to find a viable use for this increasingly desolate site for many years. Local agents Caxtons, which has been marketed the site since 2008, now acknowledges there are no takers and offices are not viable.”

Councillors agreed that its officers were correct on planning grounds in recommending refusal of the houses, but Cllr Nick Eden Green called the planning framework policy “daft”, saying it was “eminently sensible” to approve the housing.

Cllr Rosemary Doyle agreed, adding that to continue marketing the site for business use was “flogging a dead horse”.

The plans were approved, although members did have concerns about their design and layout, which they asked officers to discuss with the developers.

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Picture: Google Street View Residents say their houses have been blighted for years while land at the former Wyevale Garden Centre in Upper Harbledown has been unsuccessfully marketed for business use