Newark and Sherwood District Council approve 19 new homes on Walesby development

Planning permission has been granted for 19 new homes in Walesby.

The application was for affordable housing, on land adjacent to Haughton Way. Whilst the site is situated in open countryside, it is considered acceptable as it is on the edge of a settlement and the housing mix is based on evidenced housing needs.

The site borders Walesby Church of England primary school, and will have a footpath access to the school site.

The 19 houses include 11 two-bedroom bungalows, three three-bedroom houses and five two-bedroom houses.

Ten of the 19 units are considered to have a lack of parking provision, however the applicant claims the development doesn't justify any more parking. It said more parking could be provided but it would prefer the space to be landscaped. Council officers considered this an acceptable compromise.

Nottingham Community Housing Association made the application and will offer the houses as affordable rent and shared ownership properties.

The new development will join to a previously permitted residential development on a neighbouring site.

An area of green space is planned at the south edge of the site.

Committee chairman Roger Blaney said: "I think those of us on the site visit [on Tuesday morning] noted how attractive the existing Nottingham Community Housing Association development was and how this would complement it, complete it in fact. So I'm very supportive of it."

Malcolm Brock said: "It is completion, [the development] is almost begging to be completed. The only observation I would make is on the matter of the internal space standards, I know that we are not required to adhere to them, but I do note that in the case of the two-storey buildings they fall short by 11 square metres. That is a lot. But in the main it has my support."

Penny Rainbow raised concerns about the landscaping of potential parking spaces. She said: "I'm just concerned that if grass is parked on it begins to look very scruffy very quickly, and muddy. But obviously if you put any permanent landscaping in then it is not going to be used eventually for parking."

The potential to add a condition to prevent parking in the landscaped areas was discussed.

Mathew Skinner added: "I too fully support the development. I like the mix in terms of the style and phasing. I suspect this is phase two of three, because what I am looking at is the land at the south and I'm just concerned in terms of conditions what we may choose to do with that decent sized open green space."

Councillors unanimously approved the application, with the parking condition.