logo
Up to 270 new homes approved for Romsey after developer's appeal

Up to 270 new homes approved for Romsey after developer's appeal

BBC News15-04-2025

A plan for up to 270 new homes has been approved on appeal after a council turned them down.Gladman Developments applied to build the homes on land east of Halterworth Lane in Romsey, Hampshire, last year but had its bid rejected by Test Valley Borough Council.The developer appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and its bid was approved on Thursday.Planning inspector Zoe Raygen said although the development will lead to some "adverse impacts", they will "not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits" of the new housing.
She also found it was unable to show that it has a five-year housing land supply, which meant the inspector could use a "tilted balance" in favour of development.Authorities should be able to show they have a deliverable supply of new homes for at least five years under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).The council's current supply is 2.7 years.The application also includes land for the potential future expansion of Halterworth Primary School, also in Halterworth Lane.
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Apartment block plan for Maidenhead thrown out by inspector
Apartment block plan for Maidenhead thrown out by inspector

BBC News

time17 hours ago

  • BBC News

Apartment block plan for Maidenhead thrown out by inspector

A plan to build 25 apartments on a car storage yard has been dismissed by a planning inspector, who said it would harm the local area.N & R Investments Limited asked the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to give it outline permission to build the apartments in a five and six-storey building in Stafferton Way, the council rejected the project in May 2024 and the Planning Inspectorate dismissed it following an appeal on inspector Mark Philpott said the apartment block would have been "an incongruous and uninspired addition" because of its scale, form and design. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.

Planning Reform Is Vital for Wales' Housing Future
Planning Reform Is Vital for Wales' Housing Future

Business News Wales

time2 days ago

  • Business News Wales

Planning Reform Is Vital for Wales' Housing Future

The two governments in Westminster and Cardiff Bay have often taken very different approaches to housing and planning. While the Labour Government in England has pressed ahead with ambitious planning reforms, the Welsh Government has, until now, largely avoided such changes. Could this be about to change? There appears to be a growing recognition in Cardiff Bay that planning reforms will be needed to deliver the Welsh Government's target of 20,000 social rented homes as well as its broader housing ambitions. For instance, the First Minister, Eluned Morgan, has made speeding up planning a top priority, and a consultation earlier this year outlined plans to increase Local Planning Authority (LPA) performance and resources. The recently released Affordable Housing Taskforce report is the latest sign of a positive shift in sentiment and sets out a series of ambitious proposals for reforms to both national planning policy and the planning process. Many of the recommendations bear similarities to measures already underway in England through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Will the Welsh Government seize the opportunities the Taskforce has set out? Affordable Housing Taskforce Chaired by backbench Member of the Senedd (MS) Lee Waters, the Taskforce aimed to identify both short- and long-term barriers to Affordable Housing delivery. HBF submitted written evidence and met with Waters to provide input. The context of the Taskforce's work is extremely challenging. Housing supply levels in Wales are falling year-on-year, and in 2023-24 just 4,771 new homes were completed – the second-lowest year on record and far below the peak of over 9,000 new homes in 2006-07. The home building industry is a major player in Affordable Housing provision, delivering 45% of all new affordable homes between 2021 and 2023 via Section 106 (S106) agreements – and so making a significant contribution to the Welsh Government's 20,000 social homes target. This is an important and often overlooked point, as with the delivery of affordable units so closely tied to private development, any fall in market housing delivery inevitably reduces the number of S106 Affordable Homes coming forward. Constraints on housing delivery previously identified To unlock housing delivery across all tenures, we have consistently highlighted several key constraints on development in Wales: • Time-expired Local Development Plans (LDPs) which contain unviable and undeliverable housing allocations.• Delays relating to statutory consultee responses and SuDS Approval Bodies (SABs).• Under-resourced Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). • No requirement for councils to calculate a housing land supply since Technical Advice Notice 1 (TAN1) was revoked in 2020, making it very difficult to progress sites which are not allocated in LDPs. Taskforce recommendations The Taskforce's recommendations reflect many of these concerns. For instance, it recommended that land identified as suitable for housing in LDPs should have a presumption towards development. If implemented, this could be transformational and help stop allocated sites from being delayed or even refused once an application is submitted. However, there must be accompanying incentives for LDPs to be kept up to date in the first place to ensure an adequate supply of deliverable allocated sites. Many of the Taskforce's other recommendations are squarely aimed at addressing the key causes of planning delays, such as proposing that LPAs no longer wait for statutory consultees past their response deadlines and establishing multidisciplinary 'development teams' within councils to resolve delays – reflecting England's 'New Homes Accelerator' teams and statutory consultee reviews. The Taskforce also called for greater delegated powers for planning officers on smaller schemes, raising the major development threshold to 50 dwellings, and introducing a national scheme of delegation, all of which could significantly accelerate housing delivery and support SME home builders. What next? Of course, while many of the Taskforce's recommendations reflect those included in England's Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Wales' approach to housing is and will rightly continue to be distinct from that in England. For instance, it is extremely positive that the Help to Buy Wales scheme remains in place, providing vital support for first-time buyers and confidence for industry, while no such support scheme is in place in England. Furthermore, the Welsh Government's policy priority continues to be Affordable Housing, whereas in England, there is a greater focus on a general uplift in supply of all housing tenures. However, despite these differences, both governments now recognise the urgent need to deliver more homes and speed up planning. But how many of the Taskforce's recommendations will the Welsh Government implement – and when? It is positive that the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Jayne Bryant, has accepted the recommendations that fall to her and has set up an implementation group to oversee them (although the recommendations related to planning fall under a different minister). Some recommendations could be implemented relatively quickly, while on the other hand, many of the more systemic recommendations, such as a presumption towards development for land identified in the LDP, would require new legislation and consultation, and so are unlikely to be implemented soon. As a result, with the next Senedd election due in May 2026 and the possibility of a Reform or Plaid Cymru-led government, some of the more ambitious recommendations are at risk of being delayed or shelved. What role can HBF play in these debates? Looking ahead to next year's Senedd elections, HBF is actively seeking responses from home builders on what changes the next Welsh Government can make to planning and housing policy to further support the industry, and we will continue to push for changes to boost housing delivery of all tenures in the years ahead.

Hugh James Planning Team Marks 'Transformational' Year of Growth
Hugh James Planning Team Marks 'Transformational' Year of Growth

Business News Wales

time4 days ago

  • Business News Wales

Hugh James Planning Team Marks 'Transformational' Year of Growth

Top 100 UK Law Firm Hugh James is marking a 'significant milestone' in the evolution of its planning practice. Since the appointment of Alex Madden as Partner and head of planning and environmental in July 2024, the planning team has grown in both size and scope. The firm says it now has new clients, complex projects, and key hires under its belt. 'It's been an action-packed 12 months,' Alex said. 'We've supported the firm's commercial property team on standout deals like Rockwool's new manufacturing base at Peddimore and Pobl's land acquisition at Cardiff's Plas Dŵr. We've also facilitated critical conversations around housing delivery in Wales, including a roundtable with Lee Waters MS focused on unlocking social housing.' The team now includes Senior Associate, Hannah Mannion, who specialises in energy and renewables, and soon to be assistant solicitor Ben Bowen who will qualify in September 2025. The team's growth over the past year has significantly boosted their capacity to support the firm's national housebuilder client base across both contentious and non-contentious work, it said. The introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for certain developments, updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – including the new 'grey belt' classification – and proposed legislative reforms via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill all signal an increasing demand for commercial planning advice, said the firm. Further changes are in the pipeline, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) publishing a working paper proposing reforms to site thresholds in the planning system to better support housing delivery across different types of sites and launching a consultation on proposed reforms to planning committees. Defra is also consulting on BNG implementation for NSIPs and minor, medium and brownfield developments. Alex believes these developments only underscore the importance of having a strong, agile legal team in place. 'Our expansion means we're not just meeting our clients' needs – we're anticipating them,' he said. 'We're now able to offer a cradle-to-grave service that ensures continuity, clarity and strategic input at every stage of a project. That's a win-win for clients new and old.' The team is advising on significant residential schemes in the South West. These include the landmark Selwood Garden Community comprising 1,700 homes, a major mixed-use development of around 400 units at Nailsea within the Green Belt, and a residential-led scheme at Trull delivering 125 new homes. Recent client wins include Wain Estates, Wain Homes, and Land Value Alliances. This strategic growth reflects Hugh James' wider vision for its planning and environmental team, and delivers on the ambitions set out when Alex was first appointed, the firm said. 'We knew that planning and environmental law was becoming a bigger priority for our clients,' said Alex. 'That's why we invested in building a market-leading team, and now we're delivering on that promise.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store