9:20pm Sunday 28th February 2010
By Warwick Payne
A NEW cul-de-sac can be built in Bishop's Waltham, planners ruled.
It was third time lucky for Mapledean Developments, which had twice been blocked by Winchester City Council.
The firm wants to build eight properties in the large back gardens of five homes in Rareridge Lane.
However, 17 residents wrote to the council to object. Their concerns included too many homes being built on the site and the new houses overlooking their gardens.
It comes after planners rejected a similar scheme in 2007 and an amended version the year after.
The developers fought both rulings, but the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol sided with the council both times.
However, on the last occasion, the inspectorate only refused it because Mapledean had not set aside enough cash for the council's open spaces fund.
The pot, which developers pay into, provides money for parks and sports facilities across the district.
The council's planning committee met on February 16 to discuss the latest scheme.
Officers said it should go ahead because the only stumbling block - the cash for open spaces - had been removed.
Planning legal adviser, Bill Lynds, said members could not refuse it unless they found something that had changed since the second plan.
Cllr Ian Tait said: "I feel that we have no opportunity other than to support the application, and if we refuse it, the applicant will just appeal."
Cllr Georgina Busher, who represents Bishop's Waltham, said she would vote against it anyway.
"We really are between the devil and the deep blue sea on this one, but I'm still not going to support it," she said.
Members then granted permission by eight votes to three.
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