Appeal launched after plans to build 18 homes next to Flint care home were rejected

An appeal has been launched after plans to build a total of 18 new houses on land next to a care home in Flint were thrown out.

Flintshire Council’s planning committee rejected an application to develop an area near Bod Hyfryd Nursing Home on Northop Road at a meeting in January.

It followed the scheme being labelled as “premature” by the local authority’s chief planning officer as the site forms part of a wider plot earmarked for 170 houses in the council’s Local Development Plan (LDP).

Andrew Farrow said the land should not be developed in a “piecemeal ” fashion and criticised the fact that the proposals were put forward before the LDP was formally adopted.

However, applicants Edward Homes have now lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in a bid to have the decision overturned.
Outlining the company’s case, a planning consultant working on its behalf pointed to a claimed shortfall in housing in the county to justify approving the application.

In an appeals statement, Philip Moren said: “It is recognised that the appeal site falls outside the current settlement boundary for Flint, as defined in the adopted Flintshire Unitary Development Plan (FUDP).
“Housing development here would contravene policy which generally resists new housing outside settlement boundaries and areas identified for development, other than in certain limited circumstances (which do not apply to the appeal proposal).

“However, the FUDP is now time-expired, the council has a shortfall in housing land supply and the appeal site forms part of a housing allocation proposed under draft LDP policy.
“It is important to note that there is no requirement in that draft LDP policy that the proposed housing allocation be developed on a comprehensive basis, as a single entity.”

He added: “The appellant has attempted to engage constructively with Anwyl (the applicant for the adjacent land) but these efforts have proved unsuccessful.

“Notwithstanding this, the instant proposal would not isolate the larger part of the allocated site, as the effect of approving the appeal proposal would still be to allow access into that land.”

A total of 70 letters of objection were submitted against the plans before January’s meeting.

Councillors chose to refuse permission by 15 votes to one after they were told the layout of the houses was inappropriate and would harm the appearance of the area.

The opposition came despite the developers claiming it would help to meet the need for three-bedroom family properties in the town.

The appeal will be decided by an inspector appointed by the Welsh Government at a later date.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter