Bid to overturn refusal of 200 Penkridge homes

An inquiry will be held next month to determine whether the new estate can be built north of the village off the A449.

It is a move that is sure to cause anger among locals after the proposals were refused by South Staffordshire Council.

Developer Bloor Homes is desperate to ensure the development goes ahead, despite the concerns held by planning officials.

It will now be down to an independent assessor to decide whether the homes should be built. An inquiry is scheduled to start on March 19.

South Staffordshire Council's planning committee threw out the plans due to fears services in the village would not be able to cope with the influx of new residents.

There has been concerns about the rate the village has been allowed to grow. The plans came after around 300 homes were build at Lyne Hill Industrial Estate nearby.

Penkridge councillor Isabel Ford said she believed the council was justified in its decision to turn down the development.

She said: "We haven't got the resources needed for a bigger population. Until these are built we don't want any more homes in the village. Finding a place to park at the station is always difficult, appointments at the health centre are difficult and even the village hall is not going to be able to hold as many people as that.

"We have given good planning reasons. We need to think about what is going to happen in our area in the future and how it's going to develop. We're hopeful they will follow our decision."

When the plans were refused Max Whitehead, planning director at Bloor Homes Midlands, said: “Our proposed development in Penkridge aims to deliver a range of high quality new homes in a sustainable location, and would also provide vital funding for local services.

“Our outline application was recommended for approval, so we are naturally disappointed and we are now considering our options.”