Appeal APP/F2415/W/18/3212873

See Appeal notification Letter:

The due date for all Interested Party statements has been extended to midnight on Friday 11th January 2019 to enable the Parish Council to agree a response at its meeting on 9th January 2019

The appeal papers can be seen on the Harborough District Council website at the link above for this planning application.

To access details on the Planning Inspectorate website please click here: APP/F2415/W/18/3212873. Enter 3212873 into the "Search for a case" box to access the page for this appeal

Parish Council Comments on planning application to Harborough District Council

17/01698/OUT | Outline application for the erection of 5 dwellings and a Children's Play Area with associated vehicular access (access to be considered) (Revised sch eme of 16/01653/OUT) | Hanbury Centre Stonton Road Church Langton Leicestershire LE16 7SZ

This application is for outline planning for 5 dwellings in Church Langton in the Parish of East Langton on land that is currently designated by Harborough District Council as Open Space, sport and recreation adjacent to the village conservation area with significant views of open, rolling countryside. It is the intention of the Parish Council to protect the areas of Open Space, Sport and Recreation in the settlements in the Parish and in order to do this, the Parish Council has proposed to designate this land as Local Green Space in the (submission) Neighbourhood Plan.

The applicant states in Paragraph 4.9 of the Statement of Community Involvement, that "the main area for concern for the local community was the potential loss of green space ………..(which) was already poor and that this proposed development may cause the loss of open space completely." And goes on to explain that consequently the applicant withdrew the previous application and have sought to overcome the concerns through the provision of a Children's Play Area. (Para. 5.5)

NPPF para 74 states "Existing open space, sport and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless: the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity or quality in a suitable location."

The Children's Play Area is neither an equivalent nor better replacement in terms of quantity or quality compared to that which will be lost to development. No other land replacement has been proposed.

The vehicular access via off Old School Walk is of great concern. It will necessitate at least 10 additional vehicles, plus delivery vans etc. exiting on to an already congested road and junction (Stonton Road and Church Causeway) that is part of a bus route. There have been several 'near misses' of parents and children walking to the primary school on Stonton Road as there is no footpath to one side of this junction on Stonton Road. Congestion is a particular problem at the beginning and end of the school day and when there is a service at the church opposite.

The Planning Application is ambiguous as it states "access to be considered.Nevertheless, the applicant has provided inaccurate information about road widths, and the comments from County Highways demonstrate that a minimum width of 5.5 m is required - significantly greater than the 4.2m or thereabouts that is actually available. Visibility splay issues and the lack of a pavement on the access from Stonton Road add to the inappropriateness of this site for further development.

The application contravenes policies for smaller properties as set out in the Neighbourhood Plan. It is also noted that none of the housing is 'affordable' which is much needed in the village and is disappointing as the land owner is the Diocese of Leicester.

The land is adjacent to the Conservation Area in the centre of the village and has been recognised as a facility for sport and recreation since 1886 (according to the Archaeological Survey) and possibly earlier as the school was built in 1874 and the land allocated as a 'Playing Field' (not a paddock as stated in the Planning application). With this lack of disturbance there is also the potential for archaeology on the site.

This application will have a severe impact on the village for the reasons stated. East Langton Parish Council objects to this application in the strongest terms and urges that it be rejected by HDC Planning Department.

Roz Folwell (Chair, East Langton Parish Council)