Clark overturns 605-home planning decision

The Money Hill Consortium, a partnership between house builders Bloor Homes and Taylor Wimpey, and investment fund Cogent Land, has been given planning permission by Greg Clark for the development, including a 60-unit extra care centre, primary school, health centre, nursery community hall and retail units in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire.

North West Leicestershire District Council officers recommended the plans be approved but the local authority’s planning committee denied permission in 2014. The committee had concerns over transport issues and affordable housing.

The developers appealed the decision and planning inspector John Braithwaite recommended the application should be approved following a local inquiry.

The planning committee had concerns the developer would not deliver the required 30% affordable housing. Mr Braithwaite said when the appeal proposals were first considered by the planning committee, the developer “did not appear to be committed to providing… 30% of affordable housing”. He said that was “unacceptable”.

“There is an acute need for affordable housing throughout the district,” he added.

The developer subsequently agreed to provide 30% affordable housing if an independent viability assessment was taken.

The council’s Local Plan does not include the Money Hill area, but Mr Braithwaite said the plan was out-of-date and the development should be assessed against the National Planning Policy Framework instead.

The secretary of state said “very limited weight” should be attached to the council’s “emerging” Local Plan, which is at draft stage, when assessing the application.

In his letter the secretary of state said he attaches “significant weight” to the fact the proposed development would provide 605 new homes of which “up to 182 would be affordable”.

David Churchill, director at Iceni Projects which is responsible for the Money Hill development, said: “This decision came about after many years of engagement with the local community and the council. The scheme represents sustainable development and plays a key role in the economic, social and environmental growth of Ashby, and provides the platform for future growth.”