Developer reveals potential housing plan for Wombwell

Crest Nicholson, a national building company, has announced it is ‘considering’ a housing development on land which overlooks Wombwell Woods, behind existing homes on Windmill Road.

But the site is ‘safeguarded’ in Barnsley’s Local Plan, a legal document drawn up several years ago to earmark all the sites in the borough suitable for major housing and commercial development until at least 2033.

That means it is not needed to meet current levels of housing need, and as such deemed not availavle for development at present, though that status could change in future.

If Crest Nicholson were to press ahead with their proposal - and prospective customers can already register an interest on living in Wombwell on their website - they would need planning permission.

Barnsley Council recently rejected a planning application, for another safeguarded site in nearby Hemingfield, with one of the grounds being its status under the Local Plan.

Wombwell is represented by Cllrs James Higginbottom, Robert Frost and Brenda Eastwood.

They have written to residents, saying: “We are aware that residents in the area have received letters and plans from a housing developer in relation to the proposed development of the land off Pit Lane.

“No planning application has been submitted. The documents that were sent to residents are outline drawings only at this stage and do not provide detail about what the developer is proposing.

“We have serious concerns about safeguarded sites being developed during the current Local Plan period as this would potentially undermine the Local Plan as a whole.

“As your local councillors we entirely understand the concerns that some residents have raised about these proposals.

“In the event of an planning application being submitted, we will do everything we can to ensure those concerns are heard and that residents have their say on any plans that are brought forwards.”

One of the reasons the Local Plan was drawn up and adopted was because it set targets for house-building, with land identified to meet them.

Without that, planners would be restricted in their ability to reject ad-hoc applications from developers, meaning a less structured approach to how communities develop.