Barnsley planning permission: Plans for 21 homes in South Yorkshire village to be approved after appeal

Developer Newett Homes Ltd has lodged the application for land south of New Smithy Avenue, Thurlstone, which is recommended for approval.

The Government’s Planning Inspector imposed a condition limiting the number of homes to 21 in the interests of highway safety.

An outline application for the homes was refused in 2017 but was later allowed at appeal in August 2018.

An application for the homes was refused in May 2020, and two appeals were dismissed in November 2021.

A report states that at the time of the appeal, the council could not demonstrate that it had a five year housing land supply, therefore the principle of the development was considered to be acceptable by the Planning Inspector.

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If approved, the site will be made up of three three bed properties, 11 four bed properties, one five bed property and six affordable houses, of which four are three beds and two are two bed.

The council’s urban design officer states in the planning report that ‘the road of the cul-de-sac is straight and long, giving rise to a rather monotonous and claustrophobic townscape’.

The officer also states that two of the homes’ garages ‘will have an impact on the residential amenity of the neighbouring properties on High Bank Lane’.

Councillor Hannah Kitching, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Penistone West, objected to the plans.

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Coun Kitching states that there is ‘no capacity in the village’ for overspill car parking, adding that an ‘appropriate contribution’ should be made to Thurlstone Primary School.

“Towngate is frequently congested with parked cars and traffic movements, as is New Smithy Avenue.

“An increase through the village of 200 plus vehicular movements a day from a 21 house development would be tortuous.

“As the Local Plan has now been adopted this supply has now been both met and exceeded. There is absolutely no reason therefore to build any additional dwellings on this site.”

Residents have also lodged 23 objections, on the grounds of extra traffic, unsuitable access, loss of privacy, noise disturbance, loss of open land, and overstretched services in the village.

Conditions were added following the appeal, including the provision of a parking layby on New Smithy Avenue, provide on-site parking, and manoeuvring and visibility spays.

“The principle of a residential development of the site and the access has already been accepted by the appeal decision,” concludes the officer report.

The plans are set to be decided at the next meeting of Barnsley Council’s planning regulatory board on December 21.