Housing development plans for Summerhill ‘dismissed’ on appeal

Plans to build nearly 60 homes in Summerhill have been dismissed.

An outline planning application for the housing development on land to the east side of Bottom Road in Summerhill had been submitted to Wrexham Council in August 2016.

59 houses were proposed for the site, with the applicant stating at the time that the development aimed ‘to strike a balance between the provision of housing with sufficient parking, amenity space, landscaping and the preservation of the existing key features of the site’.

But the application had been met with objection from local residents, with 44 residents at the time stating that they were against the development.

In April 2017 Wrexham.com reported that the application had been refused unanimously by members of the planning committee based on four grounds – including the design / location outside settlement, ecology, highway issues and concerns over drainage.

An appeal objecting the committee’s decision was submitted by the applicants in September 2017.

However a decision published by the Planning Inspectorate on January 11th 2017 stated that the application has been dismissed.

In his report the inspector states: “In this regard, it is not apparent that the indicative layout fully responds to the opportunities provided by the site to reflect the development patterns and the densities of development in the locality.

“However and notwithstanding the details provided within the indicative layout, developing the fields chosen for the proposal would result in a long, thin and in part off-set addition to the edge of the settlement at Summerhill.

“The length of this projection into the countryside would be much greater than its interface with the existing settlement, and principally this would be seen in near views taken from this part of Gwersyllt.

“These factors would cause the proposed development to appear as an illogical addition to development in Summerhill, and by its form the proposal would fail to retain the characteristically strong and cohesive edge to the settlement in this location.

“As such, the appeal scheme would be unacceptably harmful to the character and appearance of
the locality. It would be materially detrimental to the landscape and townscape character on the northern edge of Gwersyllt and would fail to make a positive contribution to the appearance of the nearby locality.”

He later adds: “In regard to sustainable development, the cultural impact of the appeal proposal would appear to be neutral. There would be social benefit from the appeal scheme through: the provision of new market and affordable homes; the support that occupiers of the dwellings would provide for local services; proposed improvements to the local highway/public rights of way network; and, proposed on-site recreation facilities.

“Also, there would be economic benefit from the construction and occupation of the dwellings. However, such benefits could also be achieved from development that is policy compliant.

“Consequently, these benefits only provide limited weight in favour of the appeal scheme.”