Wooburn Green homes battle starts

2:07pm Tuesday 18th November 2008

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A PUBLIC enquiry into a controversial planning application to build 29 homes on a disused railway line began today.

Developer Henry Homes is battling with Wycombe District Council for the second time over a decision to build the mix of flats, detached and semi-detached dwellings on a thin strip of land behind Wycombe Lane, Wooburn Green.

Henry Homes put in an appeal after the council failed to make a decision over its latest plans to build on the land within its target of 13 weeks (see links, right, for previous stories).

An earlier application from Henry to build 33 homes on the 0.77 hectares of land was turned down in November 2006, a decision which the developer appealed against but lost.

Mark Beard, representing Henry, today questioned WDC's principal planning officer, Chris Steuart.

He asked him how the council could agree to the principle of developing the land for residential use, but then contradict it with a planning policy.

The council's T10 policy relates to protecting the High Wycombe to Bourne End railway line, which would disappear if the houses were built, and was one of the council's main reason for objecting the plans if they had made a decision on them.

Mr Beard said: “The interpretation of that policy, Mr Steuart cannot possibly be consistent if amounting to an opposite interpretation to accept in principle this site for residential development.”

Mr Steuart disagreed with this point. “I believe your point isn't a good one. We're entitled to say this particular site is protected by T10.

“T10 will have significant weight when looking at the principle of residential development,” he added.

Other reasons the council gave for refusing the application included the lack of amenity space for future residents, overlooking and the unneighbourliness of the development.

The appeal will continue this afternoon and is expected to last three days, after which the planning inspector will make a final decision as to whether the development can go ahead.