30 homes rejected in Iver

Rebel councillors narrowly manage to refuse 30 homes plan due to Green Belt fears despite warnings the council could lose at appeal.

Five Bucks councillors refused applicant ‘Mr Hundal’s’ outline plans to build a mixture of one and five-bedroom homes at Fourells Paddocks, Richings Way, Iver at Tuesday’s South Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee.

The applicant was only seeking if the council agrees with the development in principle as well as access to the site where further detailed planning applications will be submitted and decided at a later stage.

The plans also include public open space, a 20 per cent biodiversity net gain, parking, a £22,846 financial contribution to offset air quality emissions, and 40 per cent of the homes are proposed to be affordable.

Although a majority of the land is within the Green Belt, there are already some buildings erected at the site, which planning officers constitute as previously developed land.

Because of this and the affordable housing offer, it outweighed the Green Belt harm and, therefore, recommended the outline plans for approval.

But objectors from the Ivers Parish Council and the Residents’ Association and some panel members were concerned about its impact on the Green Belt. Councillors were also disappointed that it was an outline application and feared it could change later down the line when the scheme is finalised.

Cllr Thomas Broom (Con: Gerrards Cross) disagreed with the officer’s report and believed the land is more green than previously developed land.

He said: “I don’t think you can put this project together without having a substantial impact on the openness of the Green Belt.”

However, the applicant’s agent, Matthew Corker, reiterated that this is previously developed land and stressed the homes will deliver much-needed first homes for young people, affordable homes, and two self-build plots.

He said: “I’ll leave you with this thought. There are 5,500 households on the council’s housing list awaiting urgent accommodation, and we ask you to support your officers.

“And in doing so, help local people have the chance to stay in the area they live and love.”

Vice-chairman of the committee, Cllr Guy Hollis (Con: Denham), warned if members reject the scheme, it could leave a “black mark” on the planning panel.

He said: “We have an identified desperate need for affordable homes, and 40 per cent of the homes offered on this site are affordable homes for families desperately in need.

“There is no way shape or form that if we reject this application that it will not go through on appeal and costs will not be awarded against us for being unreasonable here.

“And it’s happened too many times with this committee.”

The committee chairman Trevor Egleton (Con: Stoke Poges & Wexham) moved a motion to approve the scheme but was defeated by five to four votes.

After spending a few minutes deciding on what the wording should be to refuse the scheme, the meeting was adjourned.

Although there was an adjournment, members were still discussing the wording of the motion, which bothered the chairman.

He said: “We had an adjournment for you to come back with your motion and we appear to be discussing the wording of it now. Why did we bother to adjourn?”

Ultimately, five councillors voted to refuse the scheme on Green Belt protection reasons whereas four voted against it.