A CONTROVERSIAL planning application from the former leader of Malvern Hills District Council to build a new housing estate has been allowed to go ahead after he won an appeal following a public inquiry into the debacle.
Greenlight Developments now has legal planning permission to build 21 homes on Clay Green Farm in Folly Road, Alfrick – a site owned by former councillor David Hughes – despite plans being turned by the district council’s planning committee in February last year.
After a four-day inqury, planning inspectorate David Rose ruled in favour of the development firm.
Back in February 2015 plans were turned down by councillors because of congestion fears on Folly Road and its junction with Brockamin Lane and the site was ‘cramped and out of keeping with the character, appearance and pattern of development in this part of the rural village’.
But Mr Rose said in his report the problems did not outweigh the advantages of the development.
His report stated the following:
“In summary, consideration of the totality of the ecological evidence firmly leads to the conclusion that the proposal would not result in any adverse ecological impacts.
“Overall it cannot be be denied that the junction of Folly Road and Brockamin lane is substandard and that the proposed development would bring an increased risk to highway safety. However that risk would not be sufficiently severe to warrant dismissing the appeal on highway grounds.
“Although traffic safety generated by the proposed development would significantly increase the use of the junction, it has been shown that road safety would not be severely compromised.”
Following the verdict, a Greenlight Developments spokesman said: “We are extremely pleased with the decision of the Planning Inspector to allow the appeal to redevelop the Clay Green Farm site in the village of Alfrick for 21 houses.
“The site will provide Alfrick and the surrounding area with a good mix of both private and affordable housing on what is rare brownfield land in the Malvern Hills District.
However Gary Williams, head of planning and housing for Malvern Hills District Council, said it was disappointed with the outcome.
“We are clearly disappointed with the decision as the council considered that it had sound and justifiable reasons to support its refusal of the proposals,” he said.
“Whilst the inspector has taken their own position on important matters such as highway safety we do not currently see grounds to legally challenge the inspector’s decision. “
And Alfrick councillor Sarah Rouse added the result was a ‘kick in the teeth’.
“This decision is a kick in the teeth, not only for the people of Alfrick who have had yet another unwanted and unsuitable development thrust upon them, but also for all the residents of Malvern Hills District Council,” she said.
