Inspector overturns refusal of Wain Homes’ Preston resi scheme

Siding with the developer over the city council, the Planning Inspectorate has permitted the development of a 50,600 sq ft care home, a 4,300 sq ft community hall, and up to 167 homes on 25 acres of open countryside in Broughton.

Wain Homes’ development would sit south of Whittingham Lane and west of James Towers Way. It includes the provision of 119 market homes and 58 affordable across a variety of different types of homes, including apartments, mews, and detached houses.

The 72-bed care home will be managed by Eric Wright Group’s Wrightcare Developments.

The ruling came around eight months after Preston City Council had voted to reject Wain Homes’ project under the grounds that the land was not suitable for housing development, the impact it would have on the division between Broughton and Preston, and highway safety. The decision had been made in line with officer recommendation.

While the inspector acknowledged that the site off Whittingham Lane was not included in the existing Central Lancashire Core Strategy 2010-2026 or the emerging Central Lancashire Local Plan 2034-2041, and therefore did not represent suitable location for development as per those plans.

However, they did not think that Wain Homes’ scheme would impact the area of separation between Broughton and Preston. The inspector also concluded that the impact the development would have on the strategic and local road network was acceptable.

Where the inspector differed largely from the city council was when it came to the advantages of the project. The inspector agreed that, though there is a care home under construction in Broughton, an aging population means there is a need for more nursing care facilities. The provision of a 72-bed care home was thus appreciated.

The creation of a community centre and allotments was also given substantial weight. With the planning approval, the land for these two elements of the project will be sold for a nominal fee to Broughton Parish Council.

As part of the application, land would be given to the nearby primary school for parking and a forest school. This was also given considerable weight.

The inspector was also moved by the 58 affordable homes presented as part of the proposals. They noted that Preston City Council is meeting 61% of the affordable housing need at present. They provided substantial weight to this.

The provision of 119 market homes was also important according to the inspector.

Therefore, they ruled that the benefits of the development outweighed the harm identified and approved the scheme.

MCK Associates led on the design of the Wain Homes development. Emery Planning led the submission of the application. The project team also included HCUK Group, Wardell Armstrong, Barnes, Walker, and Martec Environmental.

You can read the ruling by searching reference 6003578 on the Planning Inspectorate’s portal. You can learn more about the application by searching reference 06/2025/0519 on Preston City Council’s planning portal.