The Planning Inspector refused to grant permission for the scheme to developer Barwood Strategic Land LLP, which had launched an appeal against Wellingborough Borough Council's decision to refuse its plans last year. The proposed scheme would have included 124 homes, a medical centre as well as land on a separate site for sports and recreational uses.
The Inspector said in his report (24-page / 242KB PDF) that, although the proposed scheme would boost housing supply in the district, which had no more than around 1.3 years worth of housing supply, this was outweighed by the harm that would be caused to the character and appearance of the countryside.
He said that a development on a scale of that in the proposals would be "highly intrusive in views" from an adjacent road and nearby footpaths. "Such a development would dominate the village's setting and would stand out as a conspicuous and incongruous incursion into the countryside," he said.
The inspector noted that the harm to the countryside would be irreversible and that, because of the scale of the proposed development, the harm could not be adequately mitigated.
"I appreciate that refusing permission for the present scheme may mean that other sites have to be found, and these too may be in the countryside. However, I must base my decision on the merits of the scheme that is before me," he said.
The Inspector also said that the proposed sports use on a separate site would cause danger to highway safety and inconvenience to local residents, which was not outweighed by any benefits.
"Protecting the countryside and highway safety remain important policy aims, and even where relevant housing policies are out of date, it is still necessary to strike a balance with other considerations such as these," he said.
The Council had argued that granting planning permission to the proposals would be premature and prejudicial in relation to its emerging Core Strategy review and to the emerging Irchester Neighbourhood Plan.
However, the Inspector said that the Core Strategy review was only at its first consultation stage and that it was unlikely to be submitted for examination for at least a year. Any effects on the review therefore did not justify dismissing the proposals, he said.
The Inspector acknowledged that permission could predetermine the outcome of some of the decisions which local people would prefer to see dealt with through the Neighbourhood Plan. However, he said that, although work had started on the plan, no draft plan or timetable for its production had yet been prepared.
"In this case, any potential prejudice to the Irchester Neighbourhood Plan is outweighed by the desirability of making a clear decision on the present proposal now," he added.
