A REVISED housing scheme for a derelict Green Belt site has narrowly got the go-ahead. St Albans District councillorshave given planning permission to a second application from George Wimpey to build housing on the Home Farm site in Highfield Lane, Tytte

A REVISED housing scheme for a derelict Green Belt site has narrowly got the go-ahead.

St Albans District councillorshave given planning permission to a second application from George Wimpey to build housing on the Home Farm site in Highfield Lane, Tyttenhanger, which was once part of Oaklands College.

But the council's planning referrals committee was split on the decision because some councillors felt house building in the Green Belt was not acceptable.

Wimpey has already submitted one application for the site to build 38 houses, 13 of which would be affordable. That has been called in by the Secretary of State, together with the far larger application for the main Oaklands College site in Smallford, because of its Green Belt location.

The new application is for four fewer houses with 12 affordable units and even though it was agreed by the committee, it could still be called in.

Planning portfolio holder, Cllr Chris Brazier, said that Home Farm had been derelict for some year and the district council was under pressure to build houses on brownfield sites.

He added: "There are less houses and it is not linked with the Smallford campus so they could get on and do this. So we felt that rather than leave the site derelict and as we know there will be some housing there and it will give us units of affordable housing, we gave it the go-ahead.