Appeal for councillor's building plans dismissed due to harm it would cause to Northamptonshire village

A planning appeal submitted by a leading Northamptonshire councillor to gain permission to build two homes in a village conservation area has been refused.

The proposals relate to land next to 30 West End, in West Haddon, which has been the subject of many applications in an attempt to repurpose the grounds.

The appeal was submitted by developers McGowan Investments Ltd which Councillor Malcolm Longley, West Northamptonshire Council’s cabinet member for finance, is a director of. According to their website, the company already manages 10 flats in West Haddon, as well as boasting a portfolio of more than 80 student homes in Bristol.

The government’s planning inspectorate ruled that the homes would “unacceptably harm the character and appearance” of the village. Plans were laid out for two two-storey family homes, one being a four-bedroom property and the other comprising two bedrooms, intended as affordable housing.

The homes were to be built on a former residential garden in West Haddon, which the developer claims is now “redundant” and requires constant maintenance to avoid it becoming overgrown.

However, the inspectorate took issue with the location of the development, arguing that the existing gap in housing on the land positively contributes to the conservation area and “reinforces the relationship between the rural village and the countryside beyond”.

It also said the building designs were “awkward and overcomplicated” and that its “bulky” appearance would not fit in with surrounding historic buildings.

The report wrote: “There is an emphasis on spaciousness, visual gaps and well vegetated spaces in and around dwellings, with glimpses between dwellings to vegetation and open countryside beyond. The appeal site represents a positive break in the built form of the village.

“The scale of built form combined with the residential paraphernalia from the two dwellings would erode a large part of the significance and sever the current relationship of open countryside entering the rural village.

“I therefore find that the public benefits arising from the proposed development would not outweigh the harm I have identified.”

The appeal was lodged by Cllr Longley on the basis that planning officers at West Northamptonshire Council failed to issue a decision within the allotted timeframe. The initial planning application for the two houses was lodged in September 2022, however there is a history of applications and appeals for the same site, also submitted by McGowan Investments Ltd.

A previous application of theirs to build a cottage on the same piece of land was also retrospectively refused in June 2022 after the Daventry Planning Committee approved the scheme against officers’ advice. It was found that granting planning permission would likely have been unlawful due to concerns about the Tree Preservation Order.

The committee at the time consisted of seven Conservative councillors, one Labour and one Liberal Democrat. Though the specific plans for the land had changed since this application, both were ultimately rejected due to the detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and open space.

Along with the appeal, an application for costs was also made against West Northamptonshire Council by Cllr Longley. He asked to be awarded payments as a result of the delay in WNC’s planning decisions, however this was also dismissed.