COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Council planning officers have recommended the scheme is approved



Campaigners say plans for 115 homes on former green belt land in Coventry are “unnecessary and unwanted” amid a recommendation for approval this week.

Piper Homes’ application on land at Pickford Green Lane, in Allesley, goes to a planning committee on Thursday, January 28 with officers recommending the development should be approved.

The applicant has said it will provide “much-needed affordable housing” - but Allesley Parish Council say it is “unnecessary, unwanted and unsustainable urban sprawl”.

It is argued that the land was promised as a ‘green buffer’ between existing homes and up to 2,400 homes which were controversially approved at Eastern Green last year.

A parish council spokesman said: “Apart from the loss of green belt, the transport network for this development – which is not attached to the larger development – is already under pressure from numerous new dwellings built on Pickford Grange Lane in recent times, and could not cope with an extra 115 more households using the same roads.

“The parish council were previously told that the land was to be a ‘green buffer’ bordering the larger development at Eastern Green which was approved in 2020 and would never be granted permission to be built on. This is also the position set out in the Coventry City Council’s local plan. Given this we have no idea how the application has been progressed to the planning committee stage.”

Ward councillor Glenn Williams is one of three councillors to object.

He said: “This is for 115 houses and on average there will be two cars per house so that will be another 300 cars on this road which is way too much and it cannot cope with that amount.

“Why are they building on this green field in the first place? There are plans for 60 houses further down the road, 2,400 on the SUE (Sustainable Urban Extension) and more at the Windmill site. That is more than the local plan has allocated for this site combined.”

Both Allesley Parish Council and Cllr Williams say one week’s notice of the planning meeting is not enough during lockdown, with the Parish Council writing to Coventry City Council requesting a deferral.

Decision on 115 homes in Coventry delayed after complaints



A decision on plans for 115 homes on former green belt land in Coventry has been delayed after complaints residents had not been given enough notice.

Piper Homes’ application on land at Pickford Green Lane, Allesley, was due to go to a planning committee on Thursday with a recommendation for approval.

The application has drawn a mixed response in the area with 42 letters of support and 24 letters of objection, alongside objections from Allesley Parish Council.

The parish council and ward councillor Glenn Williams had also complained one week’s notice of the meeting during lockdown was not sufficient time to inform residents, or make arrangements to speak at the meeting.

The Local Government Act requires council’s to publish agendas five days in advance but Coventry cabinet member in charge said the authority was considering amending its policy.

Cllr David Welsh, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: “Although we follow guidance to publish our agendas five days before planning committee, I’ve asked council officers to look at how we might amend our processes to give interested parties longer than the legal minimum notice.

“I want residents to have every opportunity to express their views and I’ve also offered to meet with Allesley Parish Council to discuss how we work together more effectively.

“That’s why when we were made aware that not all parties received the committee notification I felt it important, with the agreement of the chair of planning, to defer the application to 11 February.”

Cllr Williams added: “This gives councillors enough time to properly notify residents who are not online and also gives people enough notice to arrange time off if they wish to address the committee.

“It’s the right decision and I thank officers for doing it.”

115 Homes plan in Coventry approved despite fight

Plans for 115 homes on former green belt land in Coventry have been given the go-ahead.

Developers Piper Homes received full planning approval for its scheme on land at Pickford Green Lane, in Allesley, at a planning committee on Thursday, February 11.

Piper Homes have said it will deliver “much-needed new homes for local people”.

It did not come without a fight from campaigners, however, with ward councillor Jaswant Singh Birdi among those to brand it an “unreasonable invasion” of countryside land.

Objectors at the meeting, including Allesley Parish Council, argued the land was a buffer zone between existing homes and the 2,400 approved as part of the Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) in November.

A further 566 homes are planned next to the Windmill Hotel while another application is also proposed further along Pickford Green Lane – a total of more than 3,000 homes in the area and around a SUE that was allocated for 2,250 in the Local Plan.

Cllr Peter Male, one to object, said: “Clearly we have already approved 2,400 homes on the SUE and surely that is a reasonable number for this part of the world and any further applications shouldn’t be approved.”

Other concerns included the impact on roads, with Cllr Glenn Williams arguing Pickford Green Lane was “not suitable” to contend with more vehicles.

However planning officer Nigel Smith said highways judged the traffic impact as acceptable, with Section 106 funding also provided to secure improvements to the “tight” junction of Pickford Green Lane and Pickford Grange Lane.

The scheme provides 25% affordable homes and 1.54ha of open space and Mr Smith, who branded the designs as “impressive”, recommended approval to the committee.

Hundreds of homes on Coventry golf site recommended for approval



Plans to build 566 homes on a golf course in Coventry have been teed up for approval.

Council planning officers have recommended the green light to plans on land adjacent to Windmill Village Hotel, on Birmingham Road.

The site was previously designated green belt land, however it was removed in the council’s 2017 Local Plan as part of the wider Eastern Green Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE), which is allocated for 2,250 houses.

Read more: Entire school rebuild in Coventry edges closer to approval

Already, plans have either been submitted or approved which surpass that figure, with 3,141 now in the offing while new A45 junctions and a link road to support the houses have also been granted.

As with the wider SUE, the latest plans have faced opposition, with 60 letters of objection arguing against development of former green belt land in Coventry.

But the bid has been recommended for approval by council planning officer Owain Williams, branding the scheme as “consistent” with the authority’s Local Plan.

A final decision will rest with councillors sitting on the planning committee on Thursday, August 5.

Steven Cox, from the Allesley Green Residents’ Association said locals feel they are being “brushed aside”, with the plans resulting in the loss of a “popular” 18-hole golf course.

He added: “This is just another attempt to destroy a large area of important open space on the fringe of Coventry solely for the purpose of unnecessary housing.

“Fundamentally the allocation of 2,250 dwellings stipulated in the Local Plan for Eastern Green are developable within the adjacent Hallam site which is already for 2,400 dwellings, and the unnecessary destruction of this very popular recreational amenity should be refused.”

Go-ahead for massive homes plan on Coventry golf course



The long-mooted development of 566 homes on a golf course in Coventry will go ahead, despite local protest that it was “senseless destruction” of the land.

Applicant Bracebridge Holdings received approval for the huge homes plan on land adjacent to the Windmill Village Hotel on Thursday, August 5.

The Birmingham Road scheme, called Windmill Green, will be build on ex-green belt land that was designated for homes in the council’s 2017 Local Plan.

The site forms the wider Eastern Green Sustainable Urban Extension which is allocated for 2,250 homes, although 3,141 are currently proposed.

However critics argued the homes were not needed, claiming approval would be “premature” while a legal challenge is being made against recent approval of 2,400 homes at Eastern Green amid questions over population projections.

Woodlands councillor Peter Male said he felt like a “scratched record” in opposing further development in the area.

He said the plans amounted to “senseless destruction” of “precious green space”, adding: “These further 566 homes are not needed and should be rejected.”

A further 60 letters of objection were made against the bid, while another councillor, Jandu Tarlochan, claimed the plans will have “devastating impact” on the community, “overload local facilities” and “destroy acres of greenery”.

The site location itself also drew concern over loss of the 18-hole golf course, with Cllr Mattie Heaven branding its loss an “absolute shame”.

Four councillors approved, with only Cllr Roger Bailey and Cllr Heaven rejecting.

Estate gets go-ahead as almost 500 homes approved



Planning permission has been granted for nearly 500 new homes to be built on farm fields in Coventry.

Coventry Council granted full permission for 491 homes on Eastern Green at a planning meeting on Friday 25 April.

It is the latest part of 2,400 home Pickford Gate development near the A45 to be approved.

The council granted outline permission to Barratt Development for the estate in 2021, with the overall scheme to include a new school, shops and land for local businesses.

As well as 491 homes there will be allotments, "informal" sports pitches and four play areas on the land.

The scheme is divided between two of Barratt Developments brands - Barrett Homes and David Wilson Homes.

Under the plans, the developers will build both houses and flats, and the homes will include a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.

Of the new homes, about 123 of them will be affordable housing, including some at social rent and some shared ownership.

A council officer's report revealed the site's layout had been revised "considerably" both before and during the application.

They said the changes had evolved due to comments from highways teams to make sure junctions, splays and walking/cycle links could be achieved "safely".

They noted a more recent change to a crossing meant a large part of a grass verge would be lost, but said a condition would be imposed so developers had time to come up with a better option that would go to the council before building started.

Overall, the officer praised the scheme as an "attractive development" with a good range of homes and said it will be a "positive contribution" to the area.

The approval of the reserved matters by the council means work on the new homes can now begin.