Some Parishioners were recently notified of a planning proposal for a number of houses to be built in the field to the south of Aldcliffe Hall Lane. The proposal documents were posted on the City Council Planning Portal but then taken down because the Planning Department realised that contradictions in the proposal, including whether it was for 7 or 11 houses, meant that it was invalid.

It is very likely that the contradictions will be resolved and that a valid proposal for this site will come forward and be posted on the Planning Portal in the coming weeks or months. The Parish Council shares parishioners’ concern about the appropriateness of building on this land and some current members were active in resisting a previous proposal in 2014 (14/00626/OUT). That application was refused permission by the Planning Committee and the subsequent appeal by the developer was rejected by the Planning Inspector in 2015 after a public inquiry.

Until there is a valid proposal submitted, there is nothing to object to. But once there is, the Parish Council will consider it carefully with a view to objecting on similar grounds as in 2014. The Parish Council was originally set up when local people came together to resist planning proposals in the area. It has since prepared a Neighbourhood Development Plan, now adopted and incorporated in Lancaster’s Local Plan, to set out the terms on which any proposed development will be considered.

Parish Council meetings are open to parishioners to attend (the next one is on Wednesday, 7th June) and there is always a section of the agenda that is open for questions and comments from the floor. Like City Council meetings, the Parish Council is a legally constituted body and, under current legislation, is required to meet in person to make decisions. Although it does not have the facilities to broadcast meetings, the Parish Council may well call an extraordinary meeting so that parishioners can put their views forward in person.

Documents relating to the previously refused application in 2014 and the unsuccessful appeal can be viewed on the City Council’s Planning Portal at Application 14/00626/OUT