Second bid to build Darwen homes
12:00pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News
CONTROVERSIAL plans for 133 new homes that were thrown out by the planning department last year are to be resubmitted this week.
The plans to develop land between Pole Lane and Spring Meadows were refused by Blackburn with Darwen’s planning committee in January last year.
Developers Ruttle Plant Holdings appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in October but the council’s decision was upheld.
But a year on the developers are back for another go.
Paul Sedgwick, of Sedgwick Associates, which is representing the developer, said the build would fit in with the council’s ‘core strategy’ for development.
He said: “The council’s core strategy requires 625 new homes a year. So far they are about 600 short of that. There will also be 20 per cent affordable homes.”
Mr Sedgwick said this sort of development was required under Government policy.
He said: “The Government said it needed house building to aid economic recovery. This should be seen as a positive contribution.”
In response to criticisms over building on a greenfield site instead of brownfield, Mr Sedgwick said there was no demand for brownfield builds.
He said: “The trouble with brownfield is it is not where people want to build as it isn’t where people are looking to buy houses.
“At the moment, the only people who can afford homes or mortgages are those moving up the property ladder. This is good as they free up houses for people lower down the ladder.”
Marsh House town councillor Simon Huggill said he was still opposed to the plans.
He said: “I can’t see anything has changed. It shows a disregard for residents and the Planning Inspectorate. I am a great believer in the sustaining of our countryside.”
Comments(22)
Bat E Karen
says...
2:34pm Mon 24 Sep 12
If they built houses of a decent size, with reasonable gardens and a bit of landscaping on brownfield, I'm sure people would look to buy them.
The Council should keep hold of as much greenfield land as possible and tidy up the scruffy areas that have been left to fester.
english rose 1
says...
3:08pm Mon 24 Sep 12
'Safeguarded land' means the land has been earmarked for future housing development. (Town Councillor Huggill knows this full well).
*
The main reason it was refused last time is that development was premature in that other brownfield sites hadn't been developed yet.
*
The Tory/Lib-Dem Government has complicated things by insisting that all Councils bring forward more land for development.
*
This land will be developed for housing at some point in the future - it's the timing that's the issue.
johndarwen
says...
8:18pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Blackburn will give in this time and alow the building work to comence. Time to find a plane and leave this sinking (stinking) town and leave it to the people that are making this place look like the back of beyond.
salcat
says...
10:41pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Darwenwolf
says...
3:41pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Chrissy camel
says...
4:04pm Tue 25 Sep 12
It's only a matter of time before the planning is passed. Like English rose quoted "'Safeguarded land' means the land has been earmarked for future housing development. (Town Councillor Huggill knows this full well)." You only have to do your homework/research to know this!
Bring on the development!!!!
Darwenwolf
says...
4:11pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Darwenwolf
says...
4:16pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Darwenwolf
says...
4:22pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Chrissy camel
says...
5:01pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Darwenwolf
says...
6:07pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Chrissy camel
says...
6:24pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Darwenwolf
says...
6:43pm Tue 25 Sep 12
pyeman2010
says...
6:43pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Chrissy camel
says...
7:18pm Tue 25 Sep 12
The 6ft crater that every car tries to avoid opposite the cottages will be sorted too. So not only is it making the run down area look much better but stopping possible accidents happening every time someone swerves around the craters and saving people money in car repairs.
No doubt someone will comment saying these things can be fixed without the planning permission being passed but how long has the water flowed across pole lane? Years is the answer! How many times do these holes get filled in reappearing weeks later?
All small things but all things that effect people on a daily basis.
The doubters and moaner are just the people that don't want houses looking nicer and better kept than that of their own (Simon Huggill)!!
Darwenwolf
says...
10:18pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Chrissy camel
says...
10:26am Wed 26 Sep 12
Darwenwolf wrote:No need to be corrected you are completely right!
Correct me if I am wrong but did Mr. Huggill not suggest a few years ago (when he was actually a councillor) that the Darwen Academy should be built on this particular piece of land rather than in the town center ?
Darwenwolf
says...
11:14am Wed 26 Sep 12
english rose 1
says...
12:51am Thu 27 Sep 12
Darwenwolf wrote:Simon Huggill is an elected Darwen Town Councillor for Marsh House Ward, - he isn't a Blackburn with Darwen Borough Councillor. The Town Council does not have any powers in regard to planning matters.
Perhaps he will be brave enough to tell the Telegraph about his DISREGARD of memory, after all it does seem that he likes making appearances in the local paper as much now as he did when he WAS a councillor !
*
When he was a Borough Councillor Simon Huggill proposed that the Academy should be built on the Moorland site not this piece of land on Pole Ln.
Darwenwolf
says...
12:09pm Thu 27 Sep 12
english rose 1 wrote:Apologies for the mix up with Mr. Huggills councillor status. I think that you will however find that at the inquiry into the academy he asked whether the land on Pole Lane had been considered.
Darwenwolf wrote:Simon Huggill is an elected Darwen Town Councillor for Marsh House Ward, - he isn't a Blackburn with Darwen Borough Councillor. The Town Council does not have any powers in regard to planning matters.
Perhaps he will be brave enough to tell the Telegraph about his DISREGARD of memory, after all it does seem that he likes making appearances in the local paper as much now as he did when he WAS a councillor !
*
When he was a Borough Councillor Simon Huggill proposed that the Academy should be built on the Moorland site not this piece of land on Pole Ln.
Darwenwolf
says...
6:20pm Thu 27 Sep 12
eastlancslad says...
2:03pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Simon Huggill, you are dead right. Stick to your guns, and don't let the -------- grind you down!
Paul Sedgwick, don't you know that what a government minister says depends on the ploitical situation at the time he says it. It's not written in blood. Anyway government ministers in my experience rarely have any expertise in any field other than talking themselves up
Ruttle Homes, maximising your profit is what building on green field sites is all about. I don't have a problem with making a profit, but please do not think we are stupid. Most of us arn't.
Which bit of 'we dont want your homes here' do you not understand?