PLANS to build  71 new homes on greenbelt land in Bacup are being recommended for refusal because they do not feature enough affordable housing for rent and shared ownership.

Lancashire-based McDermott Homes is seeking full planning permission from Rossendale Borough Council to build the homes on land off Fieldfare Way, Bacup. The application is due for discussion at tonight’s meeting of the council’s Development Control Committee at the Business Centre, Futures Park, Bacup.

The building company wants to include 39 three-bedroom and 32 four-bedroom houses among the new homes, along with car parking, landscaping and some open space.

However, 100 objections have been raised against the application. Key concerns from residents include the loss of open space, especially for children, but also for walking dogs and BMX cycling; the loss of wildlife and increased road traffic. Other fears include a lack of school and doctors’ surgery spaces for new households.

The site is within the urban boundary of Bacup, between Pennine Road and Goldcrest Avenue with St Mary’s RC Primary School to the  north. 

The whole area is currently used for recreation and contains land owned by three owners, of which the borough council owns the most.

McDermott Homes planted trees on some of the land seven years ago. as part of a previous planning agreement and the site is allocated for potential housing land under the borough council’s  emerging new Local Plan.

In 2019, a previous application to build 71 homes there was refused because not enough affordable housing was proposed and also for other reasons. Those included  concerns that the area’s character would be harmed by ‘urbanisation of the site’ and the impact on biodiversity.

In the current planning application, McDermott Homes has  supplied a raft of letters and reports. These include a financial viability appraisal. geo-environmental information, an ecological assessment, a badger survey, a statement of community involvement, flooding information and a construction management plan with biodiversity details.

Although Rossendale Council’s planning officers say McDermott Homes has satisfied many other issues, the current offer of 12 affordable homes under a shared ownership tenure still falls short of what is expected for a development of this site, an agenda for tonight5’s meeting states. The council believes  21 homes, of which 11 would be offered at  social rent,  would be required.

The agenda adds: “Thirty per cent affordable housing should be provided on this site with  50/50 split between social rent and shared ownership.”

In recommending refusal of the latest application, the agenda adds: “The development provides a level of affordable housing that is below that required by the Rossendale Core Strategy and the emerging Local Plan, and a tenure that does not reflect the housing need. The financial viability case advanced by the applicant does not adequately justify the reduced level or tenure, and fails to meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework and national planning practice.”

The council’s Development Control Committee will consider the application tonight.