Council withdraw objection to housing scheme at eleventh hour

High Peak Borough Council have withdrawn their objection for plans to build 92 homes on Adderley Place in Glossop. 

Housing developer Wainhomes is proposing to build 92 houses on the plot of land and if successful, High Peak Borough Council intend to build an extra 30-40 homes on the same site. 

This proposal has caused controversy in the local community, with an online petition created that has more than 500 signatures against the idea. 

The housing site access would be opposite Dinting Vale Primary School on the A57, which many have said would cause a plethora of issues regarding traffic increasing on an already busy road as well as difficulties with school pick-up time and parking. 

The council retracted their objection to the plans to build the 92 homes. 

A public inquiry took place regarding an appeal that has been made against the refusal of planning permission.  

Conservative MP candidate Robert Largan commented on the matter: “I am deeply disappointed that, at the 11th hour, High Peak Labour Council have announced they won’t contest the Planning Inspectorate appeal for a major housing development at Adderley Fields, just off Dinting Vale.

“The site is wholly unsuitable for a large-scale housing development and the junction onto Dinting Vale would be dangerous, right next to the primary school. It will only make congestion worse and damage air quality.

 “It feels like the Labour council have achieved the worst of both worlds, allowing the development to go ahead and wasting huge sums of taxpayers’ money on the process.

“Glossop residents will be utterly furious. A glimpse of things to come under a possible Labour government committed to scrapping green belt protections and enabling urban sprawl into our beautiful countryside.”

High Peak Borough Council have since commented, adding: "High Peak Borough Council’s Development Control Committee has been advised that its defence to an appeal, following refusal of a development comprising 92 dwellings including areas of public open space, landscaping and associated works on land at, Dinting Vale, Dinting, Glossop, Derbyshire, can no longer be sustained.

"Further evidence in respect of the viability of the site was submitted to the council on 22nd May 2024. The council reviewed that evidence in consultation with its professional advisors and in accordance with its legal duties. If, after exchange of reports, an expert witness changes their view on a material matter, having read the other side's expert's report, or for any other reason, such change of view should be communicated to the other side without delay.

"The council’s professional witness, having considered the appellant’s recent viability evidence, and in accordance with his professional duties, has concluded that the reasons for refusing the application can no longer be supported. Accordingly, we are duty bound to report that the council can no longer resist the appeal for the development of this site which is allocated for housing in the Local Plan.

"The Local Plan explains that where viability evidence is brought to justify a reduced provision of affordable housing then that is acceptable in planning policy terms. Where it can be justified in viability terms, provision of housing on an allocated sites, even without affordable housing is a material consideration which must be taken into account."

Following this decision, locals took to Facebook to voice their concerns on the matter: "They will half build some houses, ruin the area and environment and then realise the land isn’t suitable for building an estate on! Let alone all the other reasons why this development should not go ahead - absolute farce." 

Another said: "They need to think about more doctors, more dentists, schools, they can't even sort the issues out now and the state of the roads will get worse as well! It's disgusting, they've got thousands of pounds to put in place better education for SEND places yet won't hand out, there's children struggling and without a school or any help, yet all they're bothered about is building more houses, Glossop and Hadfield are becoming a disgrace, theres no GP appointments, the infrastructure needs thinking about before more houses." 

Others have said the planning application is a "utter disgrace" and "an absolute disgrace."