DATE: 01 Apr 2008
Four-day public inquiry concerning proposals for an urban extension to the north of Taunton comprising 900 homes, over 11ha of employment land, a major relief road and other ancillary facilities and infrastructure. The development, if planning permission is granted, would deliver the largest remaining residential and employment allocation in the Taunton Deane Local Plan.
The Council failed to determine the application and resisted the developers' appeal on the basis that part of the proposed alignment of the relief road deviated outside the allocation boundary into land designated as Green Wedge under the Local Plan.
The developers argued that this objection was unsustainable given: (1) the general compliance of the proposals with the development plan; (2) the substantial market and affordable housing contribution that the proposals would make, against a backdrop of consistent under-performance and shortfall by the Council; (3) the advantages in transport and highways terms of the proposed alignment of the relief road; and (4) the minimal impact of the encroachment into the Green Belt.
The appeal was 'recovered' by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and in March 2009 she granted planning permission for the development in accordance with the Inspector's recommendation.
Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC and Charles Banner appeared for the appellants, the Monkton Heathfield Consortium (comprising Persimmon Homes (South West) Ltd. and Redrow Homes (West Country) Ltd.).
