Bungalow near village green approved as parish council fails to persuade panel with its concerns

The local parish council felt that a planning application to build a bungalow in the garden of a property on Church Lane was an 'intrusive backland development'. The scheme would also create a new highway access leading onto The Green.

There were also 18 letters of objections from residents, with complaints ranging from the narrow width of the proposed road to the loss of important hedgerow.

A previous application from the same applicants for two dwellings in the garden was previously refused. But Nigel Ozier, the agent for the applicant, said that ‘significant changes’ had been made for this application.

He added: “The applicants have committed to working with officers to improve this scheme following the previous refusal. They have reduced the number of dwellings to one, redesigned the property and reduced it to a single storey to help avoid any harm to neighbours.”

Councillor Phil Bignell was one of the elected members sitting on South Northamptonshire Council’s planning committee, which was determining the application when it met yesterday (Thursday, January 3).

He questioned whether it was truly the parish council’s objection as he claims it was received prior to the authority having a formal discussion over the application. Councillor Ward, from Brafield-on-the-Green Parish Council, said the views had been agreed at an extraordinary meeting.

Councillor Bignell went on to say: “I would have agreed with the parish council’s views if it was still the two-storey application that it would damage the area. But I think planning officers have done a very good job and I don’t think these objections are now that valid.”

The South Northamptonshire councillors agreed to delegate authority to its assistant director for planning policy and development to grant approval for the scheme.