New homes proposed for greenfield site on Portland rejected
Dorset Council's turn down the proposals due to the impact on the character of the area
Proposals for eight bungalows on a slither of land off Branscombe Close, Portland have been refused by Dorset Council.
The planning application for the Southwell homes, in two short terraces, including an area for allotments, was turned down because of the impact it would have on the character of the area, including immediate neighbours.
A planning case officer report concluded: “The proposed development would … be unduly squeezed and cramped in nature, resulting in an incongruous form of development not reflecting the more spacious housing on land adjacent to the application site that forms the existing established character and appearance of the area.”
The Betterment Properties application had attracted ten objections from Portland residents with the town council strongly objecting, claiming it would result in the loss of valuable habitat and would be “invasive to the privacy of surrounding properties.”
One neighbour claimed that clearing the bramble-rich site for housing would not only cause environmental damage but open up existing homes to opportunists burglars and thieves.
Said another nearby resident in an objection letter to Dorset Council: “This greenfield site is entirely inappropriate for the development that is being proposed. It is a small piece of land, hemmed in on all sides by existing properties and with poor vehicular access.
"It is an important remaining green space for the surrounding properties. I see many birds (including sparrows, whose numbers are greatly depleted in England), butterflies and moths. In this field there are also many other insects that are important to the food chain. This is certainly not an improvement to biodiversity on Portland.”