Two weeks to have your say on plans for 42 affordable houses on green belt land in Whaley Bridge

Treville Properties Ltd and Great Places want to build approximately 40 houses on the land to the west of Bridgemont, Whaley Bridge.

This land is green belt which means it is a specially designated area of countryside protected from most forms of development.

At the meeting when the application was refused last year Councillor Charlotte Farrell said the council had once refused permission to allow someone to build a shed on green belt land so 38 houses is ‘totally unsuitable’.

Speaking in the design and access statement the applicant addressed building on green belt.

They said: “There are exceptions to this, including limited affordable housing for local community needs.”

The statement says that only 153 affordable homes were completed across the borough in 2021/22 meaning there is already a significant shortfall on the numbers of houses as identified in the High Peak Local Plan so Treville says ‘the proposed development of up to 42 affordable homes at Bridgemont is of a size and type which is justified by the evidence of need’.

This is only an outline planning application meaning the specific details about the houses and layouts have not been provided.

However, at the outline stage developers say they are looking at two one-bedroomed cottage flats, 24 two-bed houses and 16 three-bed houses.

The statement said: “The current application is a resubmission of a previous application with an alternative indicative layout.

“It seeks to address the reasons for refusal and explain why these are unfounded, particularly in the context of this being an outline application, with all matters reserved save for access.

“Fundamentally, the overriding and pressing need to provide affordable housing has not gone away and this application updates and expands on that point.”It concluded: “The proposed development would comprise sustainable development by providing much needed affordable housing in accordance with the High Peak Local Plan.”Consultation on the development runs until April 13 on the council’s website. To have your say visit http://planning.highpeak.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=259690

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