Housing estate next to Wensleydale Railway wins support just nine months after similar rejection

North Yorkshire Council planning officers say developer Blind Lane Land has addressed a string of concerns over its proposed development of up to 88 homes, 26 of which would be affordable, on the site of a former hatchery and piggery south east of Aiskew and north of the Wensleydale Railway.

The proposal on a 2.73-hectare site off Blind Lane is said to reflect the authority’s objective of increasing the number of two and three bedroom homes, improving options for smaller families and couples and allowing older people to downsize.

However, Hambleton councillors rejected the scheme saying uncertainty about the adoption of Bluebell Way, the proposed access to the site, would result in potential harm to amenity and resultant road safety and maintenance issues.

Other reasons for refusal included uncertainty about the connection of the application site to Yorkshire Water’s adopted network and the design of the Blind Lane Crossing, which was considered insufficiently wide and for thereasonable use of agricultural traffic and too steep for safe use by vehicles.

In a report to the committee, planning officers said the removal of a manure store from the site had been resolved one major concern over the plan, resulting in improved privacy between homes and the approved care homedevelopment on land to the north of the site.

In addition, since the refusal the gradient of Blind Lane has been reduced and the crossing point with Bluebell Way adjusted to ensure that the development does not result in a greater width restriction.

Officers said progress had also been made with regards to the adoption of the roads and related sewers, with the developer putting “a compelling andpersuasive case forward” that there are now sufficient safeguards in place.

They concluded that while the development would result in the loss of an existing employment site, the loss would be “outweighed by the benefits of providing additional housing”.

Nevertheless, Aiskew and Leeming Bar Parish Council said there had been “no substantial change to the proposals”, so its numerous concerns over the scheme remained the same.

The parish council has highlighted how Aiskew, which has seen numerous housing estates approved in recent years, was now nearing size of Bedale, but had “little or no facilities”. It has called for developers’ contributions to be used to support facilities development.

It had also highlighted how Wensleydale Railway’s management was concerned about extra use of level crossing by pedestrians and about rain run-off flooding the heritage line.

Numerous residents said their concerns remained over the proposed access to the site from Bluebell Way and the latest plan featured “minor alterations” to the plan that was refused by the council last summer.

They said the proposed development would raise additional amenity issues forresidents, including additional noise, and put extra strain on local services andfacilities, including schools, dental surgery and GP services.