A HOUSING developer locked in dispute with Barnsley Council about driveways looks set to be awarded planning permission for another 97 homes despite insisting on laying drives of gravel.
Gleeson Homes has built hundreds of homes on numerous sites across Barnsley with driveways made largely of gravel, rather than a solid-bound material - all of them in breach of the conditions of planning permission.
Barnsley Council put conditions in place prohibiting the use of gravel drives on sites at Lundwood, Wombwell, Goldthorpe and Bolton upon Dearne, saying the gravel gets onto the highway, creating a potential hazard and an inconvenience, and encourages the growth of weeds.
The developer pressed ahead with using gravel and tried to get the condition overturned through appeals to the Planning Inspectorate, but the appeals were all turned down.
Now the firm has resubmitted plans for a further 97 homes at Lowfield Road, Bolton upon Dearne - the third phase of its estate there.
This time Gleeson has submitted plans for slightly different driveways which feature two rows of paving slabs with gravel in between.
The council still says this is not acceptable, but a report to be presented to the planning committee later today (Tuesday) recommends councillors approve the application, but impose an additional condition.
The proposed condition states: “Prior to development commencing, details of the surfacing materials for all the parking/manoeuvring facilities shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The proposed surface shall be a solid bound material (i.e. not loose chippings) covering the parking/manoeuvring areas in their entirety and shall made available for the manoeuvring and parking of motor vehicles prior to the development being brought into use, and retained for that sole purpose at all times.”
Gleeson told the Chronicle last year it would never build a house in Barnsley again due to the council’s insistence on requiring solid driveways.
Head of planning Joe Jenkinson said: “We are recommending a different condition to what we have imposed previously. If the application is granted the condition will require the developer to obtain our agreement for a detailed driveway specification in advance of any work commencing. This would allow us to intervene at a much earlier stage should development commence without agreement being reached over the driveway specification.
“I recognise it may be difficult for members of the public to comprehend our recommendation given what’s happened before but we have to treat this planning application the same way we would treat any other and address outstanding enforcement matters on other sites separately.”
The recommendation is for approval despite 215 objections to the plan made by local residents, the majority being from members of the Friends of Lowfield Road Action Group. Concerns include whether Lowfield Road can safely accommodate the increase in traffic, and issues surrounding the width and poor visibility at a humpback bridge on the road.
A spokesman for Gleeson Homes said: “We look forward to receiving planning permission.
“It is a shame that a totally inappropriate planning condition will be imposed, because the council know that we will challenge the condition and go to appeal again which will be a disastrous waste of council tax payers’ money.
“It is interesting to note that an increasing number of councils are now insisting that we install gravel drives so Barnsley Council are seriously out of step.”
