Plans for 21 homes in rural York refused due to green belt impact
Mulgrave Properties had applied to build a mix of two, three and four bed homes.
Plans for 21 houses in a village west of York have been rejected by councillors because on the impact of the green belt.
Six of the houses would be classed as affordable – on land to the east of Middlewood Close in Rufforth.
The site is within York’s green belt boundary, but has been allocated for housing in the draft Local Plan, which is currently undergoing examination by inspectors.
Council officers recommended approving the scheme, which included electric vehicle charging points and air source heat pumps, but councillors disagreed.
Daniel Russell , who lives next to the site, said: “The fact that this is green belt land is undisputed. Regardless of any putative Local Plans or neighbourhood plans, if you approve this development you will fire the starting pistol on the race to develop further – both to the east of that land and around with, with clear precedent set.”
Mr Russell said the development would also render his family’s private horse riding track unusable as noise from houses two metres away would risk spooking the horses.
Peter Rollings, chair of Rufforth with Knapton Parish Council, said the council did not object to the development in principle, but said they were concerned that it was being considered too early as the Local Plan has not yet been adopted.
Mark Lane, agent for the development, said: “There are no material objections to the housing allocation, as noted by the council’s planning officer, and it cannot be regarded as premature.”
Coun Janet Looker said: “I’m uncomfortable with this one. I would normally, probably, robustly defend significant amounts of building in the green belt.
“I am wondering if it is premature, it does seem to me that we are suddenly popping a relatively small housing development into the green belt and I’m not quite sure why we are jumping ahead so quickly.”
Supporting the application, Coun Claire Douglas said: “I really feel like they need this additional housing, particularly as there is an affordable element to it, which in smaller communities can be really difficult to secure.
“Rural communities need such housing in order to remain sustainable. If we don’t provide it then we will end up with a very monoculture community.”
Committee chair Coun Andrew Hollyer added: “As far as I’m concerned, it’s green belt until the Local Plan’s gone through and until that point is still green belt.”
Concerns were also raised about a shared access road to the development having no pavement.
Coun Tony Fisher said: “I think it is a site that you can justifiably argue is not not giving a huge amount to the green belt.
“I do not like a shared use highway. I’m also still slightly worried about the effect on the horse riding area. As a result of that I am not going to vote on this, I’m going to abstain on this development.”