PLANS to construct 16 starter homes next to a hotel in Alton have been turned down by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) for a second time.
It is also the second time that the planning applications committee has gone against the case officer’s recommendation for approval.
The decision also went against the wishes of Alton Parish Council. Councillor Edwin Brindley told the committee at a meeting held at Moorlands House, in Leek, that the people of Alton had shown ‘strong signs of support’ and his fellow councillors had looked at the plans in great detail and were unanimously behind the idea.
The original proposals to demolish seven singlestorey holiday apartments and erect two-bedroom houses on land next to the Alverton Hotel, in Denstone Road, were rejected by councillors in June.
At the time, committee members rejected the plans, arguing that the houses did not fit in with the rural setting.
They also argued that insufficient information had been submitted with the original application to justify the reduction of the existing tourism use.
In the case officer’s report, he recommended approval because the applicant had improved the appearance of the buildings and there wa a sufficient need for starter homes in the region. The proposal was also backed by Iain Young, the head of housing services at SMDC.
Due to affordable housing legislation, 33 per cent of the development must be deemed affordable, which in this instance would mean six out of the 16 homes.
Councillor Julie Bull was the first committee member to express her concerns with the revised plans.
She described the buildings are ‘ugly’, ‘boring’ and said they had ‘no character’.
She said: “I can’t believe we’re back to a similar design to what we had in the first place. It looks dreadful.” Councillor Lionel Richardson said the proposed development would be ‘totally alien to the area’.
This view was shared by councillor Sheila Edwards, who said: “I’m sorry but I don’t see barns when I look at that. I do think the general appearance is not satisfactory for the area it sits.”
Councillor Margaret Lovatt was not happy with the design either, and said the buildings looked like Lego.
Biddulph North councillor, Jim Davies, supported the parish council’s view that there was definitely a need for affordable housing in Alton.
Councillor Stephen Ellis tried to sum up the views of other committee members and said the plans were still not up to standard. However, he recognised there was a need for affordable housing and hoped the applicant would come back with revised blueprints.