Greenfield housing breakthrough claimed

Property consultants in Yorkshire are claiming an appeals decision involving land near Leeds has set an important precedent over the release of greenfield sites for housing.

The consultants, Dacres Commercial, recently successfully appealed Leeds City Council’s refusal of planning permission for a 40-home scheme on a one-hectare greenfield site at Yeadon near the city.

The site had been allocated for housing but had been blocked by the planning authority on the grounds that greenfield development could undermine the council’s regeneration plans even though the city did not have a five-year land supply.

Mark Johnson, head of planning at Dacres Commercial, explained: “Since the Leeds development plan was released in 2006, the economic climate has changed substantially with a major shift away from high-density apartment schemes which make up 75 per cent of the council’s forward land supply.

“The reluctance of developers to commit to these sites meant we were heading for a major housing shortage unless we could start using land in the next phases, which this appeal now allows us to do,” he said.

Johnson said: “This is extremely significant for developers in Leeds but will also have an impact nationally as this appeal decision prevents councils from shying away from their annual regional spatial strategy requirement and instead seeking to use lower targets agreed in local area agreements or annual monitoring reports.”

He added: “In the case of Leeds, the council’s early year targets were substantially below the rate of current household formations in the district.” 

Access the full appeal decision on the Planning Portal - case reference: APP/N4720/A/09/2100709

Roger Milne

12 November 2009