Plans for two large houses on The Ropewalk, Southwell, approved by Newark and Sherwood District Council
Plans for two large houses have been approved for a Southwell site after a series of applications.
The site, behind 49 and 49a The Ropewalk, has had previous applications for five, four and three homes rejected by Newark and Sherwood District Council planning committee.
But members agreed with an officer recommendation that the latest plans, by Ablehomes Ltd, should be approved, subject to conditions.
Permission already existed for two homes, but they had not been built.
Member Malcolm Brock said: “They are very big —186,000sq metres, excluding garages. They are contemporary, different. I have no problems on those counts. In design, I quite like them.
“In their own right, they have quite a lot to recommend them but I am still inclined to take the view that the massing here would be detriment to the character of the area.”
He also raised the issue of flooding, which had been a concern of Southwell Town Council, which objected to the plans.
Mr Brock said: “There have been occasions in the past where very large volumes of water have gone down The Ropewalk and therefore members will understand the intense sensitivity of this.”
Committee chairman Roger Blaney said: “This is a site where members have been presented with a pick and mix approach. We had applications for five properties, for four properties, and for three properties and this committee chose to go against the officer recommendation and refuse all three.
“We have now got before us an application for two. There is an extant permission for two and you may ask why they have not been built.
“It may be the historic design relative to current fashion trends and internal layout requirement.
“I am not suggesting that if the committee were to say no to this there would be a fresh application for one on site and thereafter an application for zero on site. What we have before us has to be considered on its merits.”
