Concerns that an Oakley planning application had been fast-tracked or missed out on consultations are unfounded a meeting has heard.
Monday’s Planning Committee (12 August) had an update on plans to build up to 10 new homes off the village’s High Street. The decision on this application was deferred for a site visit by committee members.
Gideon Richards, from the borough council’s planning team, said: “There’s been a third-party comment received since the last planning committee meeting raising the following planning matters:
“‘As the site is allocated in the neighbourhood plan the application has been fast-tracked past all of the usual consultee concerns.
“‘Most neighbourhood development plans are predominantly a desk-based exercise carried out with limited details, now the applicant has submitted an outline application various parties have been consulted.
“‘And so much more detailed information has come to light, including highway safety, conservation officer concerns, together with biodiversity net gain issues.
“‘Things which were not known back in 2019, nor formed part of the decision-making process when the site was put forward in the Oakley Plan.
“The planning committee should request further traffic speed surveys and information from the applicant to ensure the new junction will be safe.
“And the last comment is, ‘a new 9.5-metre wide road directly opposite the main part of the [Grade II listed Bedford Arms] will cause irreversible harm to one of the best-listed buildings and heritage assets in our village’.
“The application has not been fast-tracked, but subject to full consultation with neighbours, parish council and statutory consultees,” Mr Richards said.
“The neighbourhood plan was made in March 2020 and was reviewed in 2022.
“The conclusion of the review was that the neighbourhood plan was still a valid document and conformed with current planning policy. No technical objections have been received from the highway officer, the Wildlife Trust and NatureSpace.
“And the comments from the conservation officer confirm the proposal is likely to result in no more than very minor level of less than substantial harm to the significance of the Oakley [sic] Arms which is Grade II listed.
“It’s further confirmed by officers that given the very low degree of harm the public benefits flowing from the development will outweigh this harm,” he said.
The committee voted to grant the outline planning permission.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
