AN APPLICATION for 32 new homes in Leigh Sinton has been thrown out over concerns around the impact on the rural area.

Malvern Hills District Council’s Northern Areas Development Management Committee discussed the planning application for the land to the south west of Elmhurst Farm in Hereford Road at a meeting yesterday evening.

Members heard a number of objections had been made to the plans, with most pointing out that the site falls within a designated ‘Significant Gap’ – an area where the district council has ruled development should only be allowed where it is appropriate and “has no demonstrably adverse effect on the existing open and essentially undeveloped character of the land”.

The site is adjacent to another where 35 homes were previously refused planning permission by the council, but were later given the go-ahead by a government inspector.

Vice chairman of Leigh and Bransford Parish Council Stephen Seymour said he and his colleagues were firmly against the plans, considering it as “over and above local need”.

But Adam White, representing developers Wolverley Homes, said the development would provide much-needed homes in a rural area and go some way towards addressing the district’s housing shortfall.

“The limited harm does not significantly and demonstratively outweigh the benefits,” he said.

Ward member Cllr Tom Wells said he had a number of concerns about the plans, not least the potential damage of the rural area.

“Quite clearly the decision by the planning inspector to grant the adjacent site has set a precedent,” he said. “This is unfortunate.

“But in the inspector’s report he did say it should not necessarily be inferred the planning authority should just disregard the significant gap when considering future applications.”

He said if the application was to be granted it would severely damage the Significant Gap policy, potentially opening the door to other planning applications in rural areas.

“It’s another step to potentially erode what those who came up with this policy were trying to achieve,” he said.

“If we think this (the Significant Gap policy) means anything that is one reason to oppose this application. That should trump the proposed benefits of this application.

“If we were to disregard this we would in effect be saying this doesn’t count any more.”

Cllr Wells added he was also unhappy about the impact of a proposed road junction into the site, saying it would be noisy and unnecessary.

The application was refused by five votes to four, with one abstention.