Planning officers have recommended that a proposal for a site for 25 self-build and custom homes on the edge of Catterick Garrison is rejected.
An outline planning application for the plots on fields off James Lane, between Catterick and Tunstall, will go before North Yorkshire Council planning committee members next week.
The two-hectare site consists of grassland and hedgerows just south of Somme Barracks.
If approved, the plots would be sold to individuals wanting to design and build their own home or use a specialist custom-build designer.
The plot purchaser would be responsible for securing their own planning consent for their home.
The development would then be built in phases following approval of all reserved matters applications.
The supporting information submitted with the application states that the houses would predominantly be detached family homes with two, three and four bedrooms.
Access to the site would be from James Lane to the east.
The council received eight objections from local residents who raised concerns about a range of issues, including highway safety, the risk of flooding and the development being on a greenfield site.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which is responsible for the Ministry of Defence’s estate, also highlighted issues about potential noise impact and the security of the nearby barracks.
A report prepared for councillors by planning case officer Joanne Wood noted that the site was a significant distance from the nearest services and facilities, with shops at Hildyard Row being 1.6km away and the nearest bus stop being 1km.
However, the report also noted that local planning authorities were required to approve enough self-build plots to meet demand for this type of housing.
Recommending the application is refused, the officer said: “It is acknowledged that the application proposes self and custom-build housing, which carries moderate positive weight in the assessment of this application.”
However, she said this would not outweigh the fact that the scheme was a significant distance from the development limits of Catterick Garrison.
The officer added: “Furthermore, the proposals would result in an encroachment into the open countryside, which would cause harm to the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings.”
The application will be discussed by members of the Richmond area planning committee on Thursday next week.
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This is the council that allowed a very large solar farm on the main road into Richmond. I wonder how that got planning permission. But again not really, friends in high places!