Object

Representation ID: 27093

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Persimmon Homes (West Yorkshire)

Agent: Lichfields

Green Belt Site Assessment:

While we fully support the allocation of the site for residential development we disagree with the Council's green belt assessment for the site.

The Council’s assessment concluded that, overall, the site is located in a moderate performing Green Belt parcel and development of the site would result in major impact on the fundamental aim and essential characteristics of Green Belt in this location.

However, for the reasons set out above, it is considered that the impact upon the Green Belt has been overstated.

Notwithstanding this it is noted and supported that Council has clearly deemed that, in the context of the acute housing need and the absence of alternative sites, the benefits of developing this site for housing outweigh any harm to the wider Green Belt in this area.

As described in our comments in Table 3, the site adjoins an existing built up area to the east and is close to a range of uses and, although the site largely lacks built form, the topography and tree cover mean it is not particularly visible or prominent. The land is contained by physical boundaries to the north and east and will be largely self-contained.

It is considered that strong new Green Belt boundaries can be formed to prevent further development or sprawl, and this would continue to be the case should the additional land identified in Annex 2 be included as part of a future allocation.