Village campaigners 'ecstatic' as planning inspector rules in favour of community and council
Victorious village campaigners say they are 'ecstatic' after a planning inspector ruled rejected an appeal by a housing developer to build on fields in the heart of Barton Seagrave.
Manor Oak Homes had been working with a consortium of more than a dozen owners of parcels of the 9.59 acre land off Barton Road applying to North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) for outline planning permission to build a housing estate next to the village cricket club.
Residents galvanised to form Save Barton Seagrave’s Spinneys (SBSS) which successfully countered the 58-house development plan with 1,100 objections being submitted to NNC.
When the developer sought to overturn NNC’s refusal at a planning inquiry, campaigners had four weeks to form a company, instruct an expert KC and raise nearly £30,000 to plead their case.
SBBS co-founder Tina Murphy, who attended every day of the two-week enquiry, said: “It’s brilliant! It couldn’t have been done without the community. Everyone played their part.
"Whilst a small team was leading it, we had support from across the area. It’s a magical start to the new year. We couldn’t have done anymore in the time we had. All of us have saved it.”
John Hunter, SBSS co-founder, was in a parish council meeting when the news came in about the decision. Breaking protocol to interrupt the chair, he was thrilled at the news.
He said: “I’m elated, very happy and in shock. We have spent two-and-half years on this. I couldn’t believe it. You never know how things are going to go. It’s more than I could have wished for.”
Local campaigner Michele Stock was in the Stirrup Cup pub in the village about to join in a quiz when she heard the outcome. She says she was unusually speechless but soon found her voice to order a drink to toast the victory.
She said: “I’m ecstatic, I had a large glass of wine to celebrate.”
Planning permission had been refused by NNC for development of houses on the land bordering the Wicksteed Park conservation area, home to Barton Seagrave Cricket Club, overlooking St Botolph’s Church, near to an area of woodland spinney used by locals.
Vehicular access would have been via a new road off Barton Road, adjacent to the entrance to the cricket ground and would have required the demolition of a large family home.
Inspector Philip Major weighed up the housing need in the local area against the loss of green space and the impact on the roads citing the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), as well as the requirement of councils to demonstrate a five-year supply of ‘deliverable housing land’.
It was the impact on road safety that played a large factor in the refusal of the appeal.
In his report, Mr Major said: “This is a finely balanced case and I do not seek to underestimate the importance of the provision of housing. However, my judgement is that the harm I have identified (especially in relation to matters of highway safety) together with the conflict with the development plan, and the NPPF in relation to highway safety, results in a level of harm which significantly and demonstrably outweighs the identified benefits.”
He added: “There would be conflict with the advice of the NPPF in relation to the impact on character and appearance and highway safety.”
Campaigners are now planning a celebration with a day and venue yet to be decided.
Tina added: “It did seem like a David and Goliath situation. This was a community not against development per se, but a community who felt this particular application was morally wrong from the very start. That’s why we all fought so hard.”