Charnwood council rejects plan for 195 Syston homes but final …

Councillors have said they would have refused a plan for 195 new homes in a Leicestershire town if the scheme had not already been sent to appeal by the developer. Taylor Wimpey wants to build the properties on land north of Barkby Road in Syston^[1], but the company submitted an appeal to the planning inspectorate earlier this year after delays by Leicestershire County Council’s^[2] highways team meant Charnwood Borough Council^[3] was not able to make a decision in the Government-recommended time frame.

Charnwood planning officer Liam Ward explained to members of the borough council’s planning committee at a meeting on Thursday night that they needed to decide whether they would have approved the plan as part of the appeals process, although their decision would not determine whether the scheme went ahead. The planning inspectorate now has the final say on the application.

The committee members’ decision was complicated by the fact the highways team had only submitted its final opinion on the morning of the meeting, despite having had months to make a decision, with Mr Ward saying “they now accept the proposals submitted by the applicant, subject to conditions and obligations”. Councillors said it was “regrettable” the highways team had only given planning^[4] officers its decision at the last minute, particularly as it meant committee members were unable to read the newly-submitted information before the meeting.

Clare Clarke, associate planner at Pegasus Group, spoke on behalf of Taylor Wimpey. She said the scheme included 59 ‘affordable’ homes – 45 for ‘affordable’ rent and 14 for shared ownership. She also said the developer had worked hard to engage with the highways team, and that the company’s decision to send the application to appeal was not a reflection on the borough council, which, she said, had been “very fair and consistent throughout”.

But objector David Murray, who also spoke at the meeting, said the site in question was “an important piece of green space”, and the only reason it should be developed would be to make it an accessible nature reserve. Meanwhile, Syston Town councillor and former borough councillor Sue Gerrard said Syston was already overpopulated.

She said: “I have lived in that area for more than 60 years, and it is such a nature reserve. It’s a godsend to us. Syston cannot take the infrastructure of 195 houses. It will only add to the problems Syston already has.”

Councillor Geoff Lawrence said: “I Just do not see this site as a sustainable development, notwithstanding that we don’t have up-to-date information at our fingertips.” He then proposed a motion to refuse the application, which was seconded by Councillor Chris O’Neill. Councillors voted to confirm they would have refused the application if the decision was not being made by the planning inspector, although a breakdown of the numbers for and against the vote was not revealed during the meeting.

The application is the second made by Taylor Wimpey for 195 homes on the piece of land – the first having been withdrawn in January 2020 – with the developer recently sparking controversy by submitting a third planning application last month that’s seemingly identical to the plans currently under appeal. Barkby and Barkby Thorpe Parish Council has described the newest application as “opportunistic”, saying: “It will turn pleasant countryside into nondescript suburbia^[6].”

References

1. ^{^} Syston (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Leicestershire County Council’s (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Charnwood Borough Council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
4. ^{^} planning (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Read the latest Leicestershire planning stories (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
6. ^{^} It will turn pleasant countryside into nondescript suburbia (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)