Charnock Richard to get new affordable housing estate in spite of residents' roads fears

Chorley Council’s planning committee last year rejected a bid to build 76 properties on land off Charter Lane in Charnock Richard after hearing highway safety fears from existing residents.

That was one of the main reasons that the proposed development – which would have consisted entirely of dwellings classed as affordable – had been vehemently opposed by locals. Committee members largely concurred with their concerns after taking a trip to the site to see it for themselves.

Villagers also claimed that a dearth of local services meant that the area could not sustain such a substantial influx of new arrivals.

The committee’s decision in June 2022 went against a recommendation by the council’s own planning officers that the estate - proposed by Bamber Bridge-based Conlon Holdings – should be given the green light.

That was because the authority did not - and currently still does not - have a five-year supply of land set aside to deliver the minimum number of new homes it is deemed to require each year.

Chorley Council ultimately withdrew its reasons for refusal and so did not attempt to defend the denial of planning permission when the developer appealed against the decision.

Colette Jolly, chair of Charnock Richard Residents’ Association, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that villagers were “devastated and incredibly disappointed with both Chorley Council for withdrawing any support for its planning committee's decision and also the Planning Inspectorate for relying on - and quoting - a number of inaccurate facts in [its] decision”.

The council has also been ordered to pay Conlon Holding’s appeal costs - a sum to be agreed between the parties and which was not specified by the planning inspector, Claire Searson - because the authority had demonstrated “unreasonable behaviour…by the withdrawal of both reasons for refusal, which ultimately resulted in preventing or delaying development which should clearly be permitted”.

Ms. Searson did acknowledge that the council had taken a “commendably short” 15 days from the submission of the appeal to confirming that it would not contest the matter - thereby averting a full public inquiry

However, she concluded after two site visits - one of which was at school pick-up time, which had been a particular point of concern for objectors to the plans - that she could find “no harm” to highway safety as a result of the proposed development.

She also noted that there was no objection from the highways authority, Lancashire County Council, after its initial concerns were addressed.

The inspector’s report noted that Chorley could currently demonstrate only a 3.3-year supply of land set aside for housing, as opposed to the five years required under government planning policy - and also pointed out that the borough had a significant shortfall in affordable housing of the type being proposed by the developer.

At the time of their decision, several planning committee members had described the decision they were being asked to make as a “finely balanced” one about whether Chorley’s lack of housing land meant that they should give the go-ahead to building on the Charter Lane – even though local planning policies decreed that the plot was suitable only for small-scale development.

Chorley Council leader Alsiarir Bradley told the LDRS after the planning inspector’s decision was published that the authority was “disappointed” with it.

“Our local democratic decision making has so regularly been overturned by people completely detached from local concerns and issues about house building in Chorley.

“While it's proving to be an uphill battle, we will not stop fighting for Chorley, our residents and our communities who will be most affected by development.

“Time and time again, local issues and the will of our residents take second fiddle to the government’s nonsensical targets for the borough and we will continue to demand change.”

Chorley is currently working with Preston and South Ribble councils to draw up the first ever Central Lancashire plan, which will reassert the trio’s intent to pool their minimum new housing targets.

The authorities have co-operated on that front for more than a decade, but their local agreements have come under pressure in recent years after often contrasting Planning Inspectorate decisions in the wake of appeals by developers against the refusal of permission for housing schemes across the sub-region.