A decision on proposals for more than 200 homes on land on the border between Lichfield and Tamworth has been pushed back due to legal concerns.
The plans for land north of Browns Lane in Wigginton were initially recommended for refusal by officers at Lichfield District Council – which is one of two councils overseeing the application – but councillors opted to delay a decision while they seek legal advice.
A report from officers at Lichfield District Council explained they had been forced to change their refusal recommendation to one of deferral, following a letter from the developers of the nearby Arkall Farm scheme.
Barwood Land has permission for 1,000 homes on that site, but says its development could be seriously impacted if the new one on Browns Lane is allowed to proceed.
A report given to councillors said:
“They disagree with the stance of the highway authority and on highways matters and also question the conclusions of your officers on environmental impact matters.
“As a result they assert the officer recommendation to be flawed and could seriously undermine and prejudice the further delivery of the committed, and allocated, Arkall Farm development.”
Report to Lichfield District Council’s planning committee
Officers advised councillors to delay a decision to allow them time to obtain legal advice.
Cllr Thomas Marshall, chair of the planning committee, said:
“There has been a lot of legal to-ing and fro-ing.
“It is a very complex application and because of that the officers have been working diligently to try and establish a way forward.
“We have had advice that it is sensible to defer the application.”
Cllr Thomas Marshall, Lichfield District Council
Lichfield District Council officers said the Browns Lane site is not allocated for development in their Local Plan Strategy.
They also felt it would extend the northern edge of Tamworth much closer to the village of Wiggington – a historic part of which is designated as a Conservation Area.
As well as this, officers had concerns that the proposals do not meet the council’s biodiversity requirements and don’t provide enough one-bedroom or two-bedroom properties to meet local needs.
The application is expected to return to the planning committee for consideration at a later date.
