Plans for a 47-home development described as “ugly” have been refused by councillors – although a second bid for the Bentham site is still to be decided by the government.

Craven District Council’s planning committee yesterday rejected the Springfield Crescent proposals over the design and density of the proposed homes.

However, the developers Concert Living have already lodged an appeal over an identical application for the site which has yet to be decided by the government’s planning inspectorate.

The appeal comes after the council failed to make a decision on the first application within a 13-week deadline – something it blamed on staff sickness.

Plans for a 47-home development described as “ugly” have been refused by councillors – although a second bid for the Bentham site is still to be decided by the government.

At a council meeting yesterday, an agent for the developers argued the reasons for refusal of the second application were “not justified” and that the council was only causing further delays for the site which is allocated for housing.

The agent said: “The site was allocated for housing development by this council in its Local Plan which was adopted just less than three years ago.

“The site has a landowner willing to sell and a housebuilder willing to develop it.

“It seems that for resource reasons, and now a rigid policy approach which fails to acknowledge the actual realities of the site, this has been delayed from happening.”

Despite Concert Living’s eagerness to develop the site, its proposals have continually failed to win the support of councillors and residents.

Skipton South councillor Robert Heseltine told yesterday’s meeting that it would be “unreasonable to expect the residents of Bentham to forevermore live with this sustainable development that has so much wrong with it”.

“It is the appearance of it that upsets me greatly,” he said.

“It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in this case the ugliness of design goes right to the basis of the application so it has to be refused today.”

Resident Janet Brook also raised further concerns over flooding in the area where she said several homeowners have had to install water pumps in their cellars.

She said: “Water drains off the land in multiple directions, causing issues for the surrounding residents with regular flooding of gardens.”

Mrs Brook also argued that the development should be refused because Bentham is poorly served by public transport and has little community facilities.

She said: “The nearest playground and field is a kilometre away, the sports club has been condemned, the community centre is closed and will be sold, there is no youth club, and the nearest swimming pool and gym are in Settle 18km away.

“The proposed development does not bring any benefit or additional facilities to Bentham in this regard.”

The second application was unanimously refused by councillors, while a government decision on the appeal is expected later this year.

‘Ugly’ housing plans for Bentham refused as appeal over 47-home site continues