Developer's new homes plan for former Wheathampstead School site

DEVELOPERS refused permission for 68 homes on part of the site of a village s former secondary school have tried again. The new plan is for 67 homes on the former Wheathampstead School site in Butterfield Road. St Albans District Council s plans (north)

DEVELOPERS refused permission for 68 homes on part of the site of a village's former secondary school have tried again.

The new plan is for 67 homes on the former Wheathampstead School site in Butterfield Road.

St Albans District Council's plans (north) committee rejected the first application from Persimmon Homes on grounds including the preponderance of four-bedroom houses, insufficient parking which would lead to cars on verges, inadequate landscaping and screening of homes and lack of public transport.

A spokesperson for Persimmon warned councillors at the meeting that they would go to appeal if the scheme was rejected. But the firm has already submitted a revised plan which will go before the committee again in April.

However the council's planning portfolio holder Cllr Chris Brazier said that in his opinion the new application did not significantly address their concerns.

Although six four-bedroom houses were agreed when the application was given outline planning permission, the application which was rejected had proposed 30 four-bedroom houses.

He said: "The new application proposes 28 four-bedroom homes which is still too many. We need more two and three-bed homes but we don't need these larger expensive homes.

He added that the affordable housing mix was fine with 12 two-bed, 10 three-bed and two four-bed homes.

But the provision of one two-bed home and 15 three-bed homes was insufficient for younger people who had grown up in the village but could not afford to stay.

He said: "Persimmon has outline planning permission and we cannot keep turning them down but I do not feel this plan is right for the village.