Revised application for 46 homes in Barnsley submitted after previous bid deferred

Councillors deferred an outline plan for 73 homes to be built on the 3.7 hectares of greenfield land off Darton Lane in June, and now a new application for 46 homes has been submitted by CC Projects – part of Church of England investment managers The Church Commissioner.

Planning officers at Barnsley Council had recommended the approval of proposals for the development, but councillors requested answers to their questions on flooding and biodiversity before making a decision.

Planning documents state that the the applicant is the Church Commissioners for England – a registered charity, established to manage the Church ofEngland’s historic assets, and are responsible for providing financial support for the work of the Church of England.

The development would include affordable housing, public open space, a landscaped planting buffer around the site, and vehicle access from Darton Lane.

The applicant has amended the plans to provide fewer homes and a larger area of greenspace, “retained for its biodiversity value as species rich grassland”.

A total of 107 comments have been made during the latest round of consultation on the amended plans, raising concerns about traffic volume, highway safety, drainage, and loss of biodiversity and greenspace.

However, an officer’s report states that “Highway officers have assessed the access and sightlines and concluded that the proposed access location is safe.”

The report adds: “- the site floods as a result of surface water which runs off the developments to the north and floods the road and site. The flood risk assessment acknowledges this and makes recommendations regarding the drainage strategy to accommodate it.

“The amended plan now pulls the development out of the valued grassland on site.”

The plans have been recommended for approval, and will go before Barnsley’s planning board on July 27.