Fresh bid for homes on Wheathampstead school site

DEVELOPERS have had a fresh bid to secure planning permission for a housing complex on a former village school site thrown out by councillors.

Persimmon Homes already has outline planning permission for the Wheathampstead School site in Butterfield Road, but the developers' detailed plans for 68 homes were rejected by councillors on the planning north committee in February.

They refused the scheme for its lack of attractiveness and the harm it would cause adjoining residents, along with its failure to provide adequate landscaping and planting within the site and along the southern edge which would impact on the Green Belt.

They were also unhappy about the effect the proposed layout and parking provisions would have on car, pedestrians and cyclist safety.

The company has appealed against the decision, arguing that the four reasons the councillors gave for rejecting the scheme were unreasonable and lacking in evidence.

But Persimmon subsequently put a slightly amended application on the table which was turned down unanimously at a meeting held earlier this month.

Wheathampstead councillor Judy Shardlow, who sits on the committee, said councillors were concerned that Persimmon don't seem to be taking on board their views.

She said: "The design of the housing is very generic, very bland and an appropriate level of thought has not gone into the design of the buildings, it's pretty awful really. It's a rehash of the 1970s style of buildings which we should have moved on from."

Cllr Shardlow said that councillors were also concerned about the number of four bedroom homes proposed in the scheme as the village needed smaller homes, especially for first time buyers to get on the housing ladder.

"Naturally, as developers they see the most profit in the large homes but they are not the houses that are needed in the village," Cllr Shardlow added.