Newick 36-home development refused permission

On Wednesday (June 8), LDC’s planning committee discussed an application to build 36 new homes at the Telephone Exchange in Goldbridge Road — a site designated for 30 houses in the Newick Neighbourhood Plan.

While the principle of building housing on the site was broadly accepted, the committee took issue with the scheme’s particular layout and design arguing it would result in a harmful overdevelopment.

The refusal had been suggested by Richard Turner (Con), who had initially expressed a preference for deferring the scheme instead of refusing it, arguing that this could allow the applicant to work with other parties and improve the design.

These other parties mentioned by Cllr Turner included the developers behind proposals to build housing on the adjoining Woods Fruit Farm site. Cllr Turner argued deferring could give both developers an opportunity to join forces and provide a linked, complementary scheme with a shared access road.

Officers advised against this suggestion, saying a deferral on such grounds would likely be considered unreasonable by a planning inspector.

Officers had also advised that the reasons for refusal were ‘not the strongest’ and would be relatively difficult to successfully defend at appeal.

The committee, however, felt a refusal also had the potential to result in a revised scheme coming forward instead.

Cllr Turner said: “The developer is here and I hope he is hearing us. I hope he won’t go to appeal because it is going to be a development that is acceptable, we know it is.

“Why can we not have a bit more consultation with the parish council, who are the local people? I am sure they could come together for a much better for everybody. I am hoping he wouldn’t go to appeal.”

Other committee members felt slightly differently about the scheme.

Laurence O’Connor (Lab) said: “To my mind it is not entirely great but it is a balance thing and I think it should be passed basically.”

Ultimately, the committee as a whole was uncomfortable with granting planning permission and opted to refuse the scheme on the grounds suggested by Cllr Turner.