Sutton homes plan rejected (From Keighley News)

Sutton homes plan rejected

7:11pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News By Miran Rahman

Controversial plans to build 53 new homes on a field off Holme Lane, Sutton, have been rejected.

Members of Craven District Council planning committee turned down the scheme late this afternoon after a three-and-a-half-hour meeting, at South Craven Baptist Church.

Council officers had recommended that the planning application, submitted by Barratt and David Wilson Homes, should be approved.

But councillors argued that the homes would harm an important “green wedge” of land which forms part of Sutton’s character and distinct identity.

At least 150 people crowded into the church next to Thompson’s Field, the site where the developer wanted to locate the houses.

The debate was repeatedly interrupted by some members of the public. Planning committee chairman Councillor Richard Welch warned them to obey the rules and stressed that the council’s officers were professionals doing their job.

As well as the houses, Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ outline application included plans for car parking, a wild flower meadow and vehicle access from Holme Lane.

If approved, the developer would have been subject to a section 106 agreement to secure provision of public open space and a contribution of £190,000 to the education authority.

The plans were opposed by Sutton Parish Council. The district council also received 311 “generic” identical objection letters, 38 letters from school children and more than 60 from individuals.

Planning officer Mark Moore told today’s meeting that statutory bodies such as Yorkshire Water, the county’s highways department and the Environment Agency did not object to the plans.

He said the council was obliged by the Government to provide more houses and noted that the Thompson’s Field site would provide good access to road and public transport networks.

Brian Sanderson, one of the individual objectors, said he was concerned that existing nearby homes would be flooded if the development was built.

Fellow objector Brian Clough said the village was already struggling to cope with the volume of traffic on its roads, while another speaker, Robert Young, questioned the need for this number of new homes. Mr Young said Sutton already had 61 houses for sale - including newly built properties.

Flood warden Madeleine Beaufoy drew attention to the applicant’s proposal to handle sewage using a package treatment plant. She pointed out that this purification process, which uses microbes to treat effluent, was only a temporary solution and was not suitable for a housing estate of this size.

Applicants’ agents Mark Johnson and Allan Poyser said the developer’s proposals had been with the council for nearly 12 months and had been carefully considered.

Responding to fears about oversubscribed schools they said the local education authority was not opposing the plans.

Coun Adrian Green spoke in support of the application, noting how important new housing developments were for the economy.

But councillors Stephen Place, Ken Hart and Mark Wheeler were among those who opposed the plans. Coun Place said he was not willing to approve such a scheme while problems surrounding Sutton’s inadequate infrastructure remained unresolved.

The application was refused by seven votes to three.