Out-Law News 1 min. read
26 Oct 2011, 3:34 pm
The Secretary of State (SoS) agreed with the inspector’s decision to allow the development in Glenfield, Leicester and concluded that there were not any material considerations of sufficient weight which would justify refusing planning permission.
The planning application, which was originally refused by Blaby District Council, sought consent for 30 hectares of employment development, up to 250 dwellings and an energy centre.
The application also proposed a number of facilities which could be used by the general public, including a 1400 square metre local centre, public open space, a children's play area and allotments. In addition there were various improvements to roads, footpaths and cycleways.
The SoS recovered the appeal because of the size of the proposed residential development and the impact that the development could potentially have on the Government's objective to secure a better balance between housing supply and demand.
In his conclusion, the SoS found that the development helped meet the clear need for housing, including affordable housing and said that the provision of well designed, sustainable development must be weighted against any detriments.
He also found that the proposed development would help meet an identified need for employment land without precluding other planned employment development elsewhere. Both housing and employment were crucial to supporting economic growth, he said.
In his overall conclusion, the SoS found that although the proposal would conflict with the development plan and there was significant local opposition to the proposal, the factors which weighed in favour of the proposed development - housing and employment - outweighed the shortcomings and overcame the limited conflicts with the development plan.
The letter concluded that “[the SoS] does not consider that there are any material considerations of sufficient weight which would justify refusing planning permission".
