High Court Reverses Refusal for 45-Home Development

A judicial body has reversed a planning inspector’s decision that had prevented a residential development. Cora Homes had previously been denied permission twice to construct a 45-residence estate situated off Brington Road in Flore, Northamptonshire. The initial refusal came from West Northamptonshire Council in November 2022, followed by a second rejection from the government’s Planning Inspectorate in 2023. The developer subsequently brought the matter before the High Court, where a judge ruled in its favour, thereby overturning the inspectorate’s refusal and granting the appeal. The proposed development consists of 45 homes, with 40% of these units designated as affordable housing. Initially, the Planning Inspectorate dismissed Cora’s application due to concerns regarding its impact on the village landscape, citing a “high level of harm” to local views, and concluded that these effects outweighed any potential benefits, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. However, in October, Mr Justice Mould at the High Court determined that the inspector had misapplied a local policy concerning affordable housing on rural sites. He ruled that the policy was not applicable in this specific case, and consequently allowed the appeal. With outline approval now secured, the council will be required to review the plans through a reserved matters application before any construction can commence. For updates on Northamptonshire news, visit BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.