Housebuilder launches appeal against decision to reject 58-home development plans in heart of Kettering village
A housebuilder has launched an appeal against a council’s decision to reject plans for a 58-home development in the heart of a Northamptonshire village.
Manor Oak Homes applied to North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) for outline planning permission to build a housing estate off Barton Road, Barton Seagrave, on open land next to the village cricket club.
The developer has now lodged an appeal against the decision, after NNC issued a refusal notice for the development in April this year.
Plans sparked massive public interest, with the planning team reporting that more than 1,100 objections were made in response to the controversial application.
NNC refused the plans on the basis that it would ‘erode the character and appearance of the area’ due to the permanent loss of open grassland and increased urbanisation. It added that the influx of people, vehicles and lighting would ‘diminish the sense of tranquillity’ experienced by those who use the green space.
It also ruled that the development would have had a detrimental impact on residential amenity and privacy and flagged its failure to adhere to policies in the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy and Local Plan, which requires the development to provide 30 per cent ‘affordable’ housing and five per cent of plots to be self-build or custom build serviced plots.
If approved, the plans would’ve seen a large family home at 60 Barton Road demolished to make way for a new road access into the estate.
The Government-appointed planning inspector will choose to either dismiss the appeal and maintain NNC’s original refusal, or overrule the council’s decision by accepting the appeal.
According to the inspectorate, the appeal will be heard through a planning inquiry, however a start date for the event has not yet been arranged.
View the application at www.kettering.gov.uk/planningApplication/133797.