Council acknowledges defeat in planning battle over 1,100-home scheme
South Ribble Borough Council has decided it lacks any grounds to challenge a decision by the Planning Inspectorate to overturn its rejection of planning consent for a major housing development.
Leader Paul Foster said: “We have thoroughly investigated the possibility of us challenging the decision through the courts but having taken advice from multiple barristers, it is not possible.
“Unfortunately, the way in which the planning system set up by the Government works means that local decisions to protect local communities can be overridden and ignored."
Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey and Homes England's had applied to build 1,100 homes on the Pickering's Farm site in Penwortham.
This was rejected by the council in 2020 and again 2021 because of the development’s impact on the adjoining road network.
In an attack on the Inspectorate, Cllr Foster said: "Your locally elected councillors refused this application twice, and yet a bureaucrat based in [inspectorate headquarters in] Bristol can spend a few days here, overturn a decision, and cause utter chaos for generations.
"The Government and Inspector don't believe the impact on the highways network is severe enough to refuse the application.
“They should spend a few more days with us and experience the conditions our community already faces, congestion all around Penwortham and across the west coast main line and within Lostock Hall.”
The Secretary of State’s letter said he agreed with the inspector that “the proposals are suitable in light of local and national policies for housing, with particular regard to masterplanning, design code, phasing, infrastructure delivery, and implementation” and that proposals were “accompanied by a satisfactory masterplan for the comprehensive development of the site, including a wider safeguarded area of land, phasing and infrastructure delivery schedule, and a programme of implementation”.
It went on: “This site is allocated for development, and the Secretary of State, like the inspector, has not identified any conflicts with the development plan.”
Weighing in favour of the proposal was “the delivery of a total of 1,100 homes, and the delivery of affordable housing, which each carry significant weight”
The letter concluded: “Like the inspector, the Secretary of State has not identified any material considerations which carry weight against the proposals.”
Looking at the highways issue, the letter said: “Taken at face value, the appellants’ transport assessments calculation of journey time delays fall far short of what could be considered as having a severe impact on the highway network.”
Mark Smulian
