Land Case Studies
Land North of Daventry Road, Kilsby, Northamptonshire
This 2.3-hectare site on the southern edge of Kilsby was acquired by the Wigley family in the 1960s as a long-term investment.
It was classified as greenfield land and used for agricultural purposes. Proposals were brought forward to help address an identified shortfall in Daventry District Council’s five-year housing land supply.
Pre-application meetings were held with planning officers at Daventry District Council and members of Kilsby Parish Council. A local exhibition allowed the community to view the proposals and ask the planning and consultant teams questions in advance of the submission of a formal planning application.
The provision of new housing on greenfield land is rarely popular with local communities, but this site was considered sustainably located due to its proximity to local facilities and access to employment within the village, all of which were well within acceptable walking and cycling distances.
Favourable comments during the consultation identified the site as the most suitable location for new development in the village.
Our professional team were able to work positively with local stakeholders to identify a number of mitigating measures that included new areas of public open space and the provision of a right-turn ghost island junction with a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the road. The latter exceeded all design requirements and expectations for a development of this size and scale but helped overcome local concerns.
An outline planning application was submitted to Daventry District Council. Having overcome the concerns of statutory consultees and key stakeholders, the Council’s planning committee agreed with our submission. Given the scale and siting of the proposed development and its relationship to the existing village, it would not have an adverse impact on the amenity of the area or surrounding landscape, so the benefits of the scheme outweighed any perceived harm.
The planning committee resolved to grant outline planning permission, subject to completion of a Section 106 Agreement.
The site was subsequently sold to Avant Homes.
Land East of Newton Lane, Newton, Rugby
This 2.46-hectare site at the northern end of Newton, Rugby, was owned by a local family and was identified as having the potential for redevelopment.
The site was promoted as being able to help Rugby Borough Council meet its own recognised shortfall in its five-year housing land supply. Although it was classified as open greenfield land adjacent to a Local Service Village, and therefore contrary to the provisions of the local Development Plan, the village’s close proximity to Rugby’s urban area, Brownsover, Coton Park and Clifton-upon-Dunsmore was an important factor in demonstrating the sustainability of the site.
Pre-application meetings were held with planning officers at Rugby Borough Council and a public exhibition was held at Newton Village Hall in advance of an outline planning application being submitted.
Acknowledging the development of greenfield land would inevitably result in some loss of openness, during the planning process our team was able to demonstrate that the benefits would outweigh any perceived harm in the context of a shortfall in housing land supply.
Those benefits included the delivery of much-needed open market and affordable housing, boosting the supply of energy-efficient homes, and enlarging the residential community. This expansion could reasonably be expected to support local businesses and services, thereby enhancing the vitality and viability of the local rural community.
Provision was also made for a children’s play area and new amenity green space to support and sustain the creation of a strong, vibrant and healthy community, both of which were identified by our team as being long-standing aspirations of the village and the Parish Council.
The master plan for the site also proposed a number of highway improvements that would allow for an extension of the 30mph zone through the village and a new junction at the access point to the site from Newton Lane with new pedestrian footpaths. A £100,000 contribution towards the upkeep of a bus service for the village for a five-year period was agreed as part of the Section 106 Agreement to enhance the sustainability of the settlement.
Rugby Borough Council’s planning committee was subsequently convinced that there were many economic, social and environmental benefits to the site being developed for housing. Members agreed that the proposed development would constitute a form of sustainable development.
Outline planning permission was granted and the site was subsequently sold to Lioncourt Homes, who secured full planning permission for 40 homes just 7 months later.