Major housing developer APPEALS refusal of 100 homes next to Northampton woodland despite more than 700 objections

Barwood Development Securities Ltd has lodged an appeal and requested that the matter be decided through a public inquiry lasting three days.

In a letter to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), an agent for the company said: “I act for Barwood Development Securities Ltd and on its behalf am instructed to give prior notice of an intent to appeal and request a public inquiry, following WNC’s recent refusal of my client’s application.”

The appeal will now be referred to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate, which will arrange a public inquiry to review the council’s decision and determine whether the development can go ahead.

Harlestone Parish Council has been contacted for comment.

WNC turned down the plans last month after receiving hundreds of objections from local residents and Harlestone Parish Council.

WNC’s planning committee had been advised by officers to approve proposals for a new residential estate on green space off Harlestone Road and York Way, next to Harlestone Firs.

However, concerns were raised at a meeting on October 23 that the development would encroach on green space and ruin the peace and tranquillity of the nearby forest.

The five-hectare site, which was proposed by applicant Barwood Development Securities, is surrounded by existing homes and two other sustainable urban extensions in Northampton, which are currently under development, and immediately borders the woodland to the north.

Developers said the outline application would consist of up to 100 new homes, with 40 percent marked as affordable housing, new pedestrian linkages to Harlestone Firs, a visitor car park on the western edge of the site, public open space and a local play area.

Initial plans for a community building within the housing estate were removed to favour the car park and improve pedestrian links into the forest.

In total, the council received 731 letters of objection to the plans, including one from Harlestone Parish Council.

Speaking at the meeting, local resident Jenny Cross said the development undermined the Harlestone neighbourhood plan and failed to “protect the tranquil nature” of the forest as a nature reserve.

Another Harlestone resident, Amanda Onyett, added: “Once that buffer is gone, the character of Harlestone Firs will change and we can’t get it back.”

Despite the planning officer’s approval recommendation, an objection against the scheme was submitted by the WNC planning policy team, who stated that the site does not form part of the allocated urban extension areas. They also highlighted that development would breach the physical boundary between the urban area and the open countryside.

Gary Halman, who spoke on behalf of Barwood Land, told planning committee members that the site was “well suited to the modest scale of housing which is proposed and it will help meet the council’s local needs”.

Two proposals to accept the housing plans, with added conditions for greater oversight on affordable housing and flooding concerns, narrowly failed with the casting vote going to the chair of the planning committee, Councillor John East.