Plans approved for 155-home development in Colney Heath

The authority’s planning committee voted to grant outline planning permission at a meeting on Wednesday (March 19) despite councillors raising concerns about the site’s sustainability.

Bellway Homes and Edit Land made the application to build on green belt land at Round House Farm that is now classed as grey belt by council officers following changes to national planning policy.

The site is located to the north west of Roestock Lane, Colney Heath.

While the plans passed by seven votes to four, committee chair Cllr Edgar Hill said: "I understand it’s not going to be very popular, I think our hands were tied."

He had earlier said that changes to government planning policy made it more difficult for the council to vote down proposals, with council officer Sim Manley saying that the council would "struggle" to defend a refusal if it was appealed by the developer.

The plans had received 209 objections from members of the public, with none writing in support. 

But the council can currently only demonstrate a housing land supply of 0.9 years, far below the five year requirement. It means it is significantly harder for the authority to block new proposals.

The council hopes its new Local Plan, its blueprint for new development that was submitted to government at the end of last year, will fix the housing land supply issue – but the plan can only be given "limited" weight in planning decisions before it is formally adopted. 

Council officers said the land at Round House Farm, which is currently agricultural, should be classed as 'grey belt' because it does not make a strong contribution to the purposes of the green belt. 

Cllr Chris Brazier, however, raised concerns about taking away agricultural land for a housing development in an area that he believes would be unsustainable.

The development would be almost 5km from the nearest railway station, though it is a condition of the planning permission that the developer will improve nearby walking and cycling routes – including to Samuel Ryder Academy and to Hatfield – and pay £1.3m towards improving the 305 bus service between Sandridge and Potters Bar.

In Cllr David Mitchell’s view, the planned improvements did not "cut the mustard" in making the site a sustainable location. 

Other committee members thought the infrastructure investment from the developer, which would also include funding for education and health services, meant existing residents would see a benefit from the proposals. 

Cllr Lorraine Kirby said: "If I was a resident there, I’d like to think there were going to be improvements and it seems to be this does at least offer the hope of some improvements."

Similarly, Cllr Giles Fry said the infrastructure improvements and financial contributions "may not be perfect" but would give some benefit the area rather than leaving it with the "status quo".

He issued a plea for councillors to consider those who may benefit from the new homes: "We … need to be mindful of those people that aren’t at tonight’s meeting that are the younger generation who will be looking for houses in years to come that won’t be attending meetings like this because they’re probably 10 or 12 years old, like my children. 

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"And if I want my children to live near my family in the local area, then we do need to provide houses."

Half of the homes in the development will be affordable, according to the government definition of the term.

Full details of the size of homes and their appearance will be set out in future planning applications.