Up to six homes proposed on green belt near Blackrod

A planning statement was prepared by MacMarshalls which argued that the site opposite 686 Chorley Road – which lies on the green belt – can be classed as grey belt.

They said the land was previously owned by Lancashire Electric Company and used as a car park and recreational area for their social club.

It even included a putting green and cricket pavilion behind the car park.

They said the area is currently used for storage and parking, including the siting of containers, “which has taken place over a long period of time”.

On one side are some newly built bungalows and on the other, a small business park.

They said permission was sought to build three houses on the land back in 1991 – though refused, they said, “there are no further details on the council’s website”.

Permission in principle which means there are no final or detailed plans, but MacMarshalls included “an indicative layout” to show the homes “can comfortably be accommodated on site, at an appropriate density”.

These include three two-storey three-bed homes and three two-storey two-bed homes.

Site plan of where the houses will be located (Image: TS Archdesign)

MacMarshalls said the grey belt definition is in place “to protect high performing green belt land” while recognising that some sites “no longer adequately serve green belt purposes”.

These purposes are threefold – to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas, to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another and to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns.

MacMarshalls said the guidance “also states that villages should not be considered large built-up areas”.

Though the site is currently not built on, they said it “has been in use for storage, including the siting of two containers, and parking”.

They said there are “clear, physical features surrounding it that could contain and restrict development” and it is “not near or adjacent to a large built-up area”.

The homes would not be out of place either, they said, arguing the indicative layout “shows a layout similar to that of the relatively recently constructed bungalows”.

MacMarshalls said the site “is very modest in size” and “is a significant distance from any two towns” – and “is not within or adjacent to an historic town.

They said this means it qualifies as grey belt and residents will have until April 21 to respond to the consultation.