Driffield Appeal Hearing - an update

Below is the the text of a letter sent to the Driffield Times & Post regarding the recent Grangevale Homes Appeal Hearing

Dear Editor

 

Summary Update on the Planning Appeals for the Greenways and Newland Avenue sites.

 

The appeals process for the planning applications on the site to the Eastern end of Newland Avenue took place on Wednesday 19th April. The Government Planning Inspector Mr Moffat presided over the deliberations.

 

Matters discussed included:-

  • the impact of the proposals on the surrounding neighbouring properties,
  • the character and appearance of the proposals,
  • the effect the proposals would have on the trees existing in the area,
  • the effect the trees would have on the proposed apartment dwellings,
  • the relationship of the development site to the town centre.

 

On Thursday the appeals on the Western site on Newland Avenue and the Greenways site were heard.

 

Matters discussed on these sites included:-

 

  • the impact of the proposals on the surrounding neighbouring properties,
  • the character and appearance of the proposals,
  • the relationship of the development site to the town centre,
  • the relevance of a previous permission from the 1980’s for a courtyard style development,
  • the relevance of a previous permission for a retail development on Greenways.

 

The inspector concluded the appeals by once again visiting the sites concerned.

 

Driffield Ward Councillors Fraser and Temple attended both days of the appeals and spoke in support of residents on all three of the sites. Residents representatives John Chapman and John Stephenson also attended both days of the process and spoke to reinforce the residents written objections to the proposals.

 

We, the three Driffield Ward Councillors Fraser, Temple and Owen would like to pay particular tribute to Mr Robert Lee, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s “tree officer” who stood firm in the face of intensive interrogation by the developer’s solicitor, and also to Steve Cook of the East Riding of Yorkshire Planning Department who very ably fought off repeated searching arguments again from the developer’s solicitor. We would also like to thank Megan Thomas, the London Barrister hired by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to defend the Council’s refusal decisions on all of these proposals.

 

We would also like to express the deepest possible thanks and admiration for the work put in by John Chapman, John Stephenson and Ted Bartlett. These three gentlemen have worked tirelessly over a long an protracted period collating information and views of residents and finally presenting these views to the inspector, the contribution they have made on behalf of their resident neighbours is of immeasurable importance. They have earned great respect and gratitude.

 

We must all now wait for the inspector to issue his decision on the appeals, this is likely to take a number of weeks.   

Again, our sincere thanks to all who have played a part in this lengthy process.

 

East Riding of Yorkshire Councillors Symon Fraser, Felicity Temple and Jonathan Owen.