243 homes in Glossop approved after inquiry

Plans for 243 houses in Glossop have been allowed at appeal, after being refused by the council last year.
Cllr Jean Wharmby meets the residents group formed to fight housing development on North Road GlossopCllr Jean Wharmby meets the residents group formed to fight housing development on North Road Glossop
Cllr Jean Wharmby meets the residents group formed to fight housing development on North Road Glossop

The applications for 93 homes on land at Dinting Road and Shaw Lane and 150 homes on land off North Road and were rejected by High Peak Borough Council in August and September respectively.

But following the decisions both developers Loxley Homes and Gladman launched appeals and inquiries were held in January, February and March.

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On Thursday, the Planning Inspectorate ruled that both appeals be allowed and planning permission be granted.

Residents and councillors are fighting to save Shaw Fields, in Glossop, from development.Residents and councillors are fighting to save Shaw Fields, in Glossop, from development.
Residents and councillors are fighting to save Shaw Fields, in Glossop, from development.

With regard to both plans, inspector Brendan Lyons referenced the council’s lack of a five-year housing supply, saying: “The contribution to meeting the considerable shortfall in supply lends substantial weight in support of the proposal.”

He highlighted that the provision of 28 units of affordable housing a the Dinting Road site and 45 at North Road would help to address an identified need.

He said in both cases the effects on landscape quality would be adequately mitigated by carefully considered design at the reserved matters stage.

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His report concluded: “On balance, any environmental harm remaining after mitigation would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of development.”

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Roger Hargreaves, of the Save Shaw Fields group, said: “We are very disappointed at the decision, but whilst the government is determined to build as many houses as possible, as quickly as possible and wherever possible, there is very little that local residents can do.

“The effect of this decision is to allow houses to be built on a site not included in the draft local plan, thus making a nonsense of all the consultations and meetings which have been held over the last three years and making a mockery of the whole planning process.

“However, it does give us strong grounds to argue, when the draft plan goes to a public inquiry in the autumn, that the allocated housing sites to the east of the railway below Dinting Road should now be excluded from the plan in order to prevent a continuous line of houses from the centre of Hadfield to the centre of Glossop.”

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Liz Strek, of the North Road Action Group, said: “We are extremely disappointed with the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to uphold the appeal by Gladman Development and approve outline planning permission on the North Road site.

“We had hoped that some common sense would prevail, considering the height of the site, lack of public transport and distance from the town centre, to allow this high elevation ‘greenfield’ site to remain as a vital open space on the upper edge of our valley.

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“The proposed growth in this part of the town will put great strain on the infrastructure of Glossop which is already frequently at breaking point, causing increasing delays and frustration for those of us who live here.”

For full story, see Thursday’s Advertiser.