PLANS for 19 “affordable” homes in the Green Belt near Warrington have been thrown out by a Government-appointed inspector.
He has ruled the development at Sandy Brow Lodge, Sandy Brow Lane, Croft would in urban sprawl result in a loss of openness in the Green Belt.
The plan was originally rejected by Warrington’s development control committee earlier this year and the applicant’s appeal has now been dismissed.
It involved demolition of two large farm buildings and three silos and building three blocks of terraced housing on the same footprints.
Nine of the houses would have been of two and-a-half storeys and 10 of two storeys.
The inspector ruled the development had too little planting and green space for the buildings to be assimilated into the “green” setting.
Despite a country-wide shortage of affordable housing, the scheme could not be justified in a rural location where it would have a damaging impact on the Green Belt.
The inspector also criticised the design of the proposed houses and said their mock slate roofs and upvc windows would be a poor choice of materials.
A borough council spokesman said the inspector’s findings supported the council’s view that there was a lack of evidence to show greenfield land should be release for affordable housing and a lack of evidence of need in the area.
