Planning application 25/P/01521 for up to 200 dwellings at Shortlands Farm near the boundary between Normandy and Ash has been referred to the Planning Inspectorate on grounds of ‘non-determination’: in other words, because Guilford Borough Council (GBC) failed to give a ruling on it within the statutory timeframe. 

GBC nevertheless needed to determine its own position on the application to inform the Planning Inspector's inquiry, and this was done at a meeting of the GBC Planning Committee on Wednesday, 24 June. Ahead of this, planning officials had produced the usual Officer’s Report to inform the Committee's discussions. This recommended refusal of the application on three counts:

1. Although the site was adjudged to be ‘Grey Belt’, the application failed to meet the ‘Golden Rules’, in terms of affordable housing and local infrastructure mitigation, including environmental mitigation. (These rules must be met to allow building in the ‘Grey Belt’, which despite that designation remains part of the Green Belt.)

2. The ecological information submitted by the applicant was inadequate and did not provide an appropriate baseline for assessing Biodiversity Net Gain.

3. The developer had not agreed a financial contribution towards required infrastructure improvements. 

Both Normandy Parish Council and NAG submitted memoranda to the Planning Committee ahead of the meeting, disputing the assertion that the site was Grey Belt. We argued that the effect of the development would be to extend the Ash/Tongham Urban Area beyond its boundary to the east, thus failing one of the criteria for land to be adjudged ‘Grey Belt’. The Chair of Normandy Parish Council and its Planning Committee spoke along those lines at the meeting.

Our arguments were not accepted by Planning Officers. However, they did add an additional ground for objection to the three above. This was that:

4. “the parameter plans and supporting information do not adequately demonstrate that up to 200 dwellings can be delivered on this site in a scheme that is well designed and represents good placemaking". 

Although there was not agreement among Councillors on the ‘Grey Belt’ issue, the Committee unanimously approved the recommendation of Planning Officers that the application be refused on the basis of the four grounds listed above. The consensus seemed to be that a more modest quantum of development, better designed, with more robust parameters and meeting the requirements of the Golden Rules and BNG, might be acceptable. 

It remains to be seen to what extent these issues will be addressed between now and the hearing by the planning inspector, which will be some time later this year.

All the documents referred to above are available on the GBC Planning Portal. In addition, we have attached our own memo on the issue of ‘Grey Belt’ below.

Attachments:

Shortlands Farm Grey Belt Question

[ ]

96 kB