Inspector backs Peel against Trafford in housing appeal

Peel Holdings' plans for a two-acre residential development at Craven Road, Broadheath, Altrincham, have been approved by the Planning Inspectorate following a successful appeal led by Lambert Smith Hampton planning director Richard Moffat.

Outline consent was granted for residential development, with an illustrative layout plan of 51 units in a mixture of houses and flats, a proportion of which will be affordable housing.

Peel will now look to sell the site, as it is far smaller than its usual portfolio of schemes. Agents have yet to be retained to market the development opportunity.

Peel originally submitted plans for the redevelopment of the site in July 2007, but the application was refused in October 2007. The council claimed there was an oversupply of housing and said the site should be retained for employment use.

LSH used the increased housing targets set in the emerging draft Regional Spatial Strategy and the availability of alternative employment sites in Trafford to counter the council's argument.

Moffat, based in Manchester, said: "This is a fantastic result. The complex nature of planning matters such as this involves much more than simply an assessment of planning policy issues in order to prove a case and we have worked hard together as a team to address the objections raised by the council.

"Planning Inspectors want to hear evidence on matters such as employment land and development viability from people actively involved in this work on a day to day basis. Working closely with our agency and development colleagues, who are able to prepare and present detailed technical evidence, is a huge advantage. Their intimate knowledge of the property market means that LSH is better placed to help clients achieve a commercially successful outcome and produce robust evidence to back up our case."