Chorley housing bid delayed

Friday, 12 July 2024 10:20

By Paul Faulkner - Local Democracy Reporting Service

A bid to finalise controversial plans to build hundreds of new homes in Chorley has been delayed.

Redrow Homes has already been granted outline planning permission for its long-proposed development on land to the north of Town Lane in Whittle-le-Woods. Chorley Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead to the scheme – for 250 properties – in June 2023.

The firm is now seeking approval for the detailed design of the estate across a slightly wider area – and an increase in the tally of dwellings to 280.

The matter had been due to be determined by planning committee members on Tuesday evening, but was withdrawn from the agenda before the proceedings began.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the deferral was due to outstanding information from a statutory consultee not having been provided in time to be considered. The application will be brought back before the committee at a later date.

Chorley Council failed to reach a decision on the proposal within the normal timescales when the Redrow proposal was first submitted to the authority in 2021. That prompted the firm to launch an appeal, requesting that the independent Planning Inspectorate make the decision instead. But, amid local objections, the inspector who heard the case refused permission over concerns about highway safety.

When the committee considered a fresh application for outline permission last year, Chorley’s planning committee concluded that those issues had been overcome.

The full application that is now due to be adjudicated upon contains additional land to the east of the originally proposed site, taking the boundary up to the border of the M61 motorway.