The Planning Inspectorate has upheld the former Conservative council’s decision to reject mass housing in the green belt after developers appealed the refusal to build up to 700 houses on green belt alongside the A5 in Weddington.
The planning application was refused by the committee last year under the Conservative administration and the appeal against that decision was the subject of a public hearing in April of this year. In his conclusion summary the Planning Inspector agreed with the Council's decision that this development would cause very substantial harm and would lead to a serious non-compliance with council policy.
The Council Planning Team directed by the Conservative Cabinet Member for Planning mounted a robust defence of the refusal to allow this development to go ahead. This was despite the weakness of Labours disastrous Borough Plan that is failing to deliver the inflated housing targets caused by the 4,000-overflow houses taken from Coventry.
Conservative Shadow Cabinet Member for Planning and Enforcement Cllr Richard Smith commented:
This is a great result for the residents of the Borough and sends a clear signal to developers that Conservatives will always stand firm to protect our green belt from inappropriate development and when the Conservative Borough Plan Review is adopted later this year, it will provide a strong layer of protection against future inapropriate developments of this sort. The emerging plan will deliver reduced housing numbers over a 15-year period, with a strict no green belt policy and will replace Labours failed plan.
When the Conservatives were in control of the Town Hall they ensured that the council put up a fully-funded and robust defence, hiring a top King’s Counsel to defend the interests of Nuneaton residents.
Following the election of a Labour Government nationally and Labour’s pledge to do a review of the Green Belt nationally and the imposition of housing targets from central government, local Conservatives have expressed concerns about what this could mean for the people of Nuneaton and Bedworth.
Cllr Richard Smith continued:
Obviously, winning the appeal is brilliant news. But the recent change in government nationally presents a greater threat to the Green Belt in Nuneaton and Bedworth than we have ever seen before. We intend to monitor these changes closely and stand ready to stand up for the people of our Borough should it be necessary. We may have just won this appeal, but I fear there may be worse to come in the near future.
