New homes, retirement apartment and 70-bed care home in Overstone granted planning permission
The major application at Overstone Farm was approved by councillors on Daventry District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday evening (July 10), despite objections from the local parish council.
The scheme was also voted through even though it conflicts with some of the authority’s own planning policies regarding building in non-urban areas, and on the loss of open countryside.
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Hide AdIt was on that basis that the parish council hoped the scheme would be refused. Parish councillor Steve Townsend told the planning committee: “Overstone has up to 4,000 houses either being built or proposed for the parish. The village had 364 houses. The local surgery already doesn’t have enough capacity. This demeans the character of the area, and it offers no benefits to Overstone.
“We were very disappointed that planning officers had recommended this for approval. This proposal is contrary to local policies.”
Planning officers admitted the scheme was ‘finely balanced’ regarding its conformity, but stated: “It is important to consider the site’s location in close proximity to the Northampton North sustainable urban extension, which will affect its character in the future and provides a number of services and facilities for prospective residents to access. Therefore, on balance, it is considered that the application should be approved.”
The development, on Billing Lane (formerly known at Sywell Road) will provide a number of detached, semi-detached and terraced houses varying in height from one to two storeys. It will include the retention and conversion of the current farmhouse into four apartments, and the farm buildings into seven dwellings and eight single storey homes.
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Hide AdAn additional 31 homes will be built on the west of the application site adjacent to the retirement apartments, while the care home will be positioned behind the existing farmhouse and outbuildings.
This latter part of the application has been given outline planning approval, which approves the principle of development. Further details on design will come back before the planning committee at a later date.
A representative for applicants Vanderbilt Strategic Ltd told councillors: “The housing will provide a mixture of sizes and also provides 40 per cent affordable housing. This is a sensitively designed scheme that will deliver a sense of place, high-quality new homes, care home accommodation and a beautiful landscape setting.”
The application was passed by 11 votes to two.