Plans for 26 affordable homes in Copster Green refused

It comes after planners concluded the development would be unsustainable, poorly designed, and harmful to a neighbouring property.

Developer Pringle Homes had sought permission to build the estate on land off Albany Drive in Copster Green, between Blackburn and Preston.

The proposal included 26 houses, new roads, parking, landscaping, and drainage infrastructure on a roughly 2.9-acre site south of existing properties on Albany Drive and Brown Leaves Grove.

However, Ribble Valley Borough Council rejected the scheme on three grounds, saying the development was in an "unsustainable location", with future residents relying heavily on private cars to access services and facilities.

The planned site in Copster Green (Image: Pringle Homes)

Planners also concluded the layout, scale, and design would result in a cramped form of development which failed to respond positively to the character of the area.

A third refusal reason stated the scheme would have an overbearing impact on the occupiers of a neighbouring property in Brown Leaves Grove, causing a harmful loss of light.

Many residents argued Copster Green lacked the infrastructure needed to support a development of this size, pointing to the absence of local shops, healthcare facilities, and other everyday services.

Several objectors said future residents would be heavily dependent on cars, while others questioned whether affordable housing in such a location was genuinely sustainable.

Residents said Albany Drive is a quiet cul-de-sac and warned that additional vehicles would add pressure to Lovely Hall Lane and the busy junction with the A59.

Others raised concerns about school-time congestion around Salesbury Primary School, claiming parts of Lovely Hall Lane become difficult to navigate because of parked vehicles and the absence of continuous footpaths.

Objectors also pointed to existing drainage problems in the area and reported instances of surface water affecting nearby properties during periods of heavy rain.

Residents claimed the fields were used by deer, badgers, bats, owls and other wildlife, arguing the development would damage habitats and further erode the rural character of Copster Green.

A number of objections also highlighted previous planning decisions on the site and neighbouring land, arguing that accessibility and sustainability concerns identified in earlier appeal decisions had not materially changed.

In supporting documents submitted with the application, Pringle Homes said the development would provide high-quality affordable housing in a sustainable location and had been designed to reflect the character and materials of existing homes in the village.

The developer also argued the site was within reach of local facilities and public transport links, while the scheme included public open space, retained green corridors and additional planting intended to help it blend into its surroundings.

Despite those arguments, Ribble Valley concluded the development did not represent sustainable development and said there were no amendments or planning conditions that could reasonably have made the scheme acceptable.