Housing plan for green space land could go ahead

Outline plans for more than 100 homes on a "wonderful wildlife resource" in Barnsley have been approved after a divided vote.

Up to 126 homes could be built on the Dodworth site under plans for land north of Keresforth Road, which is green space allocated for housing in Barnsley's Local Plan.

Reform members of the council's planning board backed an outline planning application by Keepmoat Homes, while most Labour and Liberal Democrat members voted against the plans.

The decision had been deferred from earlier in September so councillors could visit the site.

Barnsley Council's policy is for 30% of homes in Dodworth to be affordable, but none are proposed for the new site, with Keepmoat saying it could not provide affordable housing alongside "the usual contributions".

Samuel Finley of Keepmoat said the development would "help address both local housing needs and the wider challenge of affordability".

Keepmoat has already reduced its proposal for the land by 89 homes, from 215 to 126 and 16 trees, or tree groups, would be removed to make the only entrance which would be at Keresforth Road, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Objector Rachel Lamyman said councillors should consider the "safest and most suitable access" rather than the applicant's preferred option, with a route from South Road appearing safer than the busy road entrance used by schoolchildren.

However, the council's highways officers said the Keresforth Road entrance met the "requirements for visibility and vehicle movement", and could serve the 126 homes, while land needed for a South Road entrance was outside Keepmoat's application site.

Another objector, Michelle Ronksley, asked if drainage evidence was sufficient and pointed out nearby homes had flooded in 2007, but planners recommended approval subject to conditions - including further drainage details.

Labour councillor Phillip Lofts said he had seen "lots of people using the site for recreation" and described the site as a "wonderful wildlife resource", questioning whether homes so close to the M1 could be protected from noise and pollution.

"I can't see how you would effectively mitigate the noise or particulates," he said.

Head of planning, Garry Hildsley, said the exact position of the homes was as yet unknown as the application was at outline stage, but said Keepmoat would have to submit an updated noise assessment and details of necessary measures at the layout and design approval stage.

Approval is subject to a £900,000 legal agreement, including £736,000 for school places, £89,750 for biodiversity measures, £69,300 for public transport and £4,950 for affordable housing elsewhere.

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