MORE than £1.1m could be secured to boost schools near a 232-home housing estate which is set to be approved in its outline form next week.
The application, which comprises of a seven-and-three-quarter hectare site off Wakefield Road, between New Lodge, Athersley South and Smithies, was made by Tim Love.
Although only in its outline stage, if full planning consent is awarded in the future the council say a figure of £4,985.47 per dwelling will be accumulated to improve primary and secondary schools.
As well as a boost to education, costs for the repair of the East Gawber Hall Colliery fan house - which is on the site - will be covered by a £109,200 donation.
A planning statement said: “The application initially sought outline planning permission for a development of up to 220 dwellings with associated open space, earthworks, road and drainage infrastructure.
“This was reduced to 187 as a result of infrastructure requirements on Wakefield Road, but subsequently increased to 232 to more closely align with the draft Local Plan site allocation.
“The application has been amended during the course of being considered in order to set aside a corridor of land abutting Wakefield Road to allow for the possibility of a bus lane and a three-metre-wide combined foot and cycle way being constructed along the site frontage.
“The indicative plan proposes blocks of dwellings running north-west and south-east with surface water attenuation basins in the south-west of the site and a play space to the east in the location of the current stream and ‘valley’.
“The area of the watercourse is proposed to be dedicated as open space and enhanced. The central hedgerow and a number of trees to the north end of the site are proposed to be removed with a ten-metre-wide woodland buffer to the north-west boundary to be planted as mitigation.”
Fifteen per cent of the 232 homes would be classed as ‘affordable housing’, according to the plan, which has accrued seven objections from residents who cite loss of privacy, increased noise, pedestrian safety and impacts on wildlife as reasons why outline permission should be rejected.
“The proposed development would provide up to 232 new dwellings,” the planning statement added. “New homes at a time when the council cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of housing is a significant benefit.
“Furthermore, the planning obligation would provide a mechanism to secure the provision of affordable housing and financial contributions towards education and off-site public open space.
“In the overall balance, the adverse impacts identified would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the social and economic benefits.
“Therefore it is recommended to the planning board that the application is granted outline planning permission, subject to conditions.”
