Plan for homes on 14 acres of ‘productive farmland’ sparks hundreds of objections

Officers say the benefits of Wain Homes scheme would outweigh the harms

Plans to build homes on 14 acres of ‘productive farmland’ in Lancashire have prompted more than 450 people to contact a council, with nearly all of them objecting.

Wain Homes North West wants planning permission to build 122 homes on land east of Prescot Road in Aughton, near Ormskirk.

But objectors say the soil there is high quality and should stay used for farming. Others have fears that local health services would be over-stretched with extra people living in the new homes, or concerns about extra traffic or flooding.

Wain Homes is proposing a mix of new homes, from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom detached houses. New access is planned for cars, cyclists and pedestrians. It says the estate will be well-planned, will echo local architecture styles and will be ‘easily absorbed’ into its immediate context. And the new development would help address the need for local housing.

West Lancashire Council’s planning committee will consider the plan this week. But councillors are being advised by planning officers to defer it to a top officer and leading councillor to consider approval, subject to planning conditions and an agreement about cash contributions to local NHS services and amenities

The many objectors include Aughton Parish Council which ‘strongly opposes’ the housing plan application, having listened to local residents’ views. The parish said: “West Lancashire Council’s current local plan has two years to run so it would be premature to release ‘safeguarded’ land without justification. As far as we are aware, the current local plan has not under-delivered and housing targets are being achieved.

“This site has always been, and still is, in agricultural use and is identified as grades 2 and 3 in best and most versatile (BMV) measurements. National planning policy clearly states that BMV land should not be developed unless absolutely necessary. The loss of this land for housing would be contrary to national policy and result in the permanent loss of productive farmland.”

Grade 1 is the most productive soil, classed as ‘excellent’. Grade 2 is ‘very good’ and grade 3 is ‘good to moderate’, according to Natural England guidance for planning applications.

Aughton Parish Council also said the proposed development would represent a ‘severe and irreversible environmental loss particularly in respect of wildlife and protected species’.

Regarding local traffic, objectors say other possible housing developments along Prescot Road and Parrs Lane would create an unacceptable impact on road safety and the overall impact on roads would be ‘severe’.

However, West Lancashire planning officers say the benefits of housing would outweigh the harms, such as the loss of farmland. And measures could be taken to protect and re-use soil and to help hedges.

They believe borough councillors should delegate granting permission to the council’s deputy chief executive with a leading planning committee member, subject to an agreement with Wain Homes. Details to come should include numbers of affordable housing and specialist housing, public open space and biodiversity gains.

Planning officers have suggested Wain Homes pay £44,000 for open space provision elsewhere, £129,000 towards expanding or building an alternative NHS premises for Aughton Surgery and contribute over £400,000 towards road and transport needs.

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