Councillors call for local plan overhaul after Coniston Avenue approval
Liberal Democrat councillors in Darton have renewed calls for Barnsley Council’s Local Plan to be reviewed after a controversial housing application for 39 homes was approved last week.
The scheme will see new houses built on land south of Coniston Avenue. While the site is allocated for housing under the borough’s local plan, the decision has sparked frustration from councillors.
Darton East councillors Steve Hunt and Dickie Denton said they were “disappointed but not surprised” that the revised application was given the green light by the council’s Planning Regulatory Board.
The pair have opposed development on the site since an initial application was lodged by a different housebuilder in 2022. Their concerns include the reduction in affordable housing, as well as the removal of mature trees and hedges, the loss of wildlife habitat, and the placement of drainage infrastructure beyond the development boundary.
They also cited the potential impact on neighbouring properties, risks of subsidence linked to historic open-cast mining, and the lack of infrastructure investment to support new housing.
Although Liberal Democrat councillors on the planning board voted against the scheme, the application was ultimately approved by the Labour majority.
In a joint statement, Cllrs Hunt and Denton said: “We recognise the need for extra housing in Barnsley, but the Council needs to include communities in the planning of the required infrastructure to support this.
“The Labour Council’s flawed Local Plan does not include the road improvements, extra school places, and GPs which are needed. The Local Plan is not working for our residents. They do not feel that they have a say in the housing growth happening around them.”
They are calling for the Local Plan to be reviewed “at the earliest opportunity” with greater community involvement and a more proactive approach to using developer contributions, known as Section 106 money.
They added that, now the scheme has been approved, they will work with the developer to minimise disruption and have already asked council officers to consider using open space funding to refurbish the nearby Keswick Road play area.
In response, Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “The 39 homes proposed as part of the scheme are on a site allocated for housing in our Local Plan. The material planning considerations relevant to the application, including matters of affordable housing, drainage and infrastructure, were assessed, balanced, and clearly set out within the committee report.
“The application was fully discussed and debated by members of the planning board, who came to a resolution to recommend the approval of the scheme.”
Cllr Franklin confirmed there are no plans to revise the local plan ahead of a scheduled review in 2027, unless fundamental changes to planning policy are introduced nationally.