‘Overbearing’ plan for seven homes rejected
PLANS to build seven affordable houses in a rural village have been rejected.
Planners at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have refused the proposed development on land east of Lakeland Lodges, Rudyard Road, Rudyard.
A decision notice signed by the council’s operational manager, Ben Haywood, said: “The proposed development constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
“It is not considered that any very special circumstances exist in this instance. Accordingly this application is considered to be contrary to section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy SS6C of the Staffordshire Moorlands Core Strategy.
“The proposed development represents an overbearing and incongruous form of development that fails to respond to the prevailing vernacular of the Rudyard Conservation Area. The proposal would result in less than substantial harm to the Conservation Area but this would not be outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme.
“The juxtaposition between the protected tree group to the south east and the proposed dwellings would be inappropriate and very likely result in future pressure to further prune or remove these trees. Whilst the Tree Preservation Order gives the Local Planning Authority some control over the future pruning of the trees the council has a duty to consider at the planning stage whether the relationship between the trees and the proposed development is acceptable and sustainable and whether it would make any future requests for inappropriate works to the trees difficult to resist.
“In this instance the relationship of the proposed dwellings with the trees is not considered to be acceptable and sustainable.
“The juxtaposition between the protected tree group located to the south-east and the proposed dwellings would result substantial shading over the fronts of the dwellings during the afternoon and evening, it would result in a heavily restricted outlook and a significant overbearing effect, resulting in substandard living conditions for future occupants.”
A design and access statement submitted with the planning application, by planning consultant Rob Duncan, said all of the proposed dwellings are to be brought forward as ‘Discounted Market Sales Housing’ and thus sold at a discount of 20 per cent below local market value, with the aim of helping low and middle earners from the local area get onto the property ladder.
Mr Duncan said: “The application proposes the erection of seven dwellings, comprising three pairs of semidetached dwellings, and one detached dwelling.
“The application site lies within the North Staffordshire Green Belt, and comprises a parcel of previously developed land located in the heart of the village, close to the junction of Rudyard Road with Dunwood Lane and Camrose Hill. The application proposes the erection of seven affordable dwellings, to be brought forward as ‘Discounted Market Sales Housing’ and restricted to residents from Horton and surrounding parishes on a cascading basis.
“The occupation will also be restricted to those persons who would otherwise be unable to afford the dwellings at full market value. The proposed delivery of 100 per cent affordable housing on the site is considered to constitute an appropriate form of development within the Green Belt.”