Planning Inspector’s ruling opens Ribble Valley countryside to developers
Residents have reacted with anger after plans to overrule a 300 homes development were announced.
The controversial decision to overrule a Lancashire council’s rejection of a 300-home development may have fired the starting pistol on a wave of development in the countryside.
Residents in Langho have reacted with incredulity and anger to the ruling by the national Planning Inspectorate last month that overturned Ribble Valley Council’s refusal of the project, which will increase the population of the rural village by around a third.
Some branded the ruling ‘absolutely bonkers’ after their concerns about the development’s accessibility and impact on the open countryside surrounding Langho were dismissed as carrying ‘limited weight’, due to one glaring factor.
That is, national requirements for local councils to demonstrate a five-year supply of land for housing developments. With Ribble Valley being found to only have a 3.5 year supply, planners are now saying that ‘the goalposts have officially moved’ for prospective housebuilders.
An associate at Preston-based planning firm PWA, Matthew Wyatt, has made this argument in recent weeks on LinkedIn, where he stated: “The legal and policy implications [of the ruling] apply to developments of all sizes across the Ribble Valley.”
Mr Wyatt argued that the planning inspector’s decision could be used on appeal to justify any housebuilding, from a single home to a whole development, as the council still has a ‘serious and significant shortfall’ in its housing delivery.
He said: “This is arguably the strongest window of opportunity we have seen in years to successfully challenge those refusals at appeal.”
This is because of the ‘tilted balance’ that this failure to meet national housebuilding targets now applies to all Ribble Valley housing applications, essentially meaning that the council’s own policies around where homes should be built and reasons for rejection now carry ‘limited weight’.
Langho residents that oppose the 300-home development in a farmer’s field, bordered by the railway station, a recently built estate, and the A59 Longsight Road, are calling on the council to challenge the Planning Inspectorate’s ruling in the courts.
Local campaigner Jenny Lea, from the ‘Save Langho’ action group, said that their concerns now reached beyond the borders of the village.
She said: “Naturally, we are disappointed by the Planning Inspector’s decision. However, our concerns now extend well beyond this single development. We understand that the Council is facing increasing challenges in defending planning decisions while balancing the need to protect the countryside and reflect the views of local residents.
“However, we believe this case is particularly significant because of its potential implications for planning decisions across every village in Ribble Valley. Ribble Valley is a unique and beautiful place, and many residents are passionate about protecting its landscape and character while supporting appropriate and sustainable development.”
Ms Lea continued: “As a community campaign, we have worked hard to gather and represent local residents’ views. We have encouraged the Council to stand firm, carefully consider all available legal options, including the possibility of a Judicial Review, and seek clarity on the wider planning issues raised by this decision.
“Whatever the outcome, we hope this leads to greater certainty for residents, the Council and future planning decisions across the borough.”
A petition calling on Ribble Valley Council to get a Judicial Review of the planning inspector’s Langho ruling has garnered over 1200 signatures, but the authority has indicated that this outcome is unlikely.
Last week, the council indicated that legal advice had shown there to be ‘little prospect of success’ in mounting another challenge. Instead, the body said their planning team was ‘working at pace’ to prove a five-year supply of housing to prevent being overruled in the future.