Close vote but it’s a yes to Slate Meadow estate
Bourne End: 150-home development will go ahead after years of wrangling
Contentious plans to build 150 homes in the Bourne End countryside were approved last week despite concerns remaining over the layout of buildings.
The Slate Meadow site, off Stratford Drive, has been the centre of a greenbelt debate for years, with developer Croudace Homes gaining outline planning permission in August 2018.
An application relating to the development’s access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale was deferred at a meeting in June, with the height of homes one of many concerns raised.
The plans came back to the Buckinghamshire Council planning committee on Wednesday, August 24, where council officers again recommended the application be delegated to the head of planning for approval, subject to a number of conditions.
This included securing financial contributions to either Little Marlow Lakes Country Park or Burnham Beeches, as well as the removal of the objection from the Environment Agency (EA) on flood risk grounds.
In addition, a referral to the Secretary of State may be necessary if an objection on flooding grounds is maintained, who can call-in the application for his determination.
Officers also noted that if significant changes to the layout are required, the plans will be returned to the committee.
Croudace Homes’ proposals once again proved controversial at last week’s meeting in High Wycombe, with Councillor David Johncock (Con, Flackwell Heath, Little Marlow & Marlow South East) calling them ‘disappointing’.
“Having been involved in the release of this site for development, it caused cost-ernation locally, quite understandably, but the decision was made,” he said.
“The work that was done with the community and our own officers in producing the site’s development brief was a good step forward.
“But we have ignored some very significant parts.”
Cllr Johncock added: “[Officers mention] a view through the site. There isn’t one.
“It is a significant hillside and most of that is going to be obliterated by dwellings.
“We did promise we would try and make this development as good as it can be and I am not sure we are delivering on that promise.
“It is really disappointing that the developer has not come forward with any sensible suggestions about how to overcome this. I would like to see the whole thing redesigned frankly.”
Charles Power, Bucks Council’s development manager team leader, countered by saying that views to hills and fields have been maintained as much as possible through the site.
“It may not provide as much view as you would like but it does comply with the development brief,” he said.
“The brief is a document there to help people develop the site and what the developers came in with [complies] with the brief.”
The recommendation went to a vote which was tied four for and four against, with meeting chairman Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja having the deciding vote in favour.