Wyre rejects 130 homes against officer recommendation

Brownfield land specialist BXB and developer Promenade Estates’ plans for a neighbourhood in Thornton Cleveleys were refused at the council’s meeting on Wednesday.

This was the second time the outline application for 130 homes off Fleetwood Road North in Thornton Cleveleys has gone before Wyre Council’s planning committee. The first was in December and resulted in the application being deferred.

Both times it has gone before the committee, the proposal has been recommended for approval by planning officers.

BXB director Gary Goodman said he was at a loss as to understand why the council had chosen to ignore officer recommendations.

“This is an allocated site that will deliver an appropriate mix of new private and affordable homes,” Goodman said. “Our masterplan was widely welcomed by the public in two rounds of public consultation and members have gone against the electorate’s wishes.”

Officers had flagged several possible issues with the application, including the number of affordable homes, highway safety, and removal of trees that were the subject of an approved woodland tree preservation order.

Of the 130 homes BXB and Promenade have proposed, only nine would be affordable. As for the trees, most are under 15 years old. BXB and Promenade said their project would deliver 200 new trees to replace those lost.

Goodman acknowledged the issues within the application.

“Viability was a challenge because of the investment we’d be making in building a new link road into Hillhouse Enterprise Zone, our flood mitigation measures and the quantum of affordable housing, but we made it work with the help of the council’s officers,” he said.

“The development would provide a major jobs boost at a time when the economy is rocking on its heels and the decision defies economic logic as much as planning policy.  We’re considering carefully what our next step will be.

“Decisions such as this increase the cost of housing at a time when there is an acknowledged shortage.  It also sends a signal to the market that investment in Wyre is not welcome.”

The masterplan for the 12-acre Wyre site was designed by Brock Carmichael Architects. The project team includes ecology consultant Erap, transport expert Curtins, and drainage strategist Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson.

Regarding the decision to reject the application, a Wyre Council spokesperson said: “The decision to refuse planning permission on this site was taken by the planning committee contrary to the officer recommendation. Planning decisions must balance competing objectives and the planning committee set out two reasons for refusal in this case.”