The Appeal Hearing held recently for the Woodham Bridge site, at which Willmott Partnership Homes sought to overturn a DCC decision to refuse planning permission for 430 houses on the site, has been quashed.
After a long hearing over a few days the Inspector dismissed the appeal and the site will NOT be used for housing development and it will be very difficult for anyone to come back and make a case to build houses there in the future.
The site is saved from development, and will remain as a separator between Newton Aycliffe and Woodham, as an open green corridor for wildlife in the Woodham Burn corridor.
It never seemed right to create an island estate in that area with no access roads to Woodham and the town. People living there would have to use the A167 to get to any facilities they required in Newton Aycliffe.
The Inspector concluded that: “The proposal would result in serious landscape harm that would adversely affect the area’s character and appearance. The proposal would not contribute to protecting and enhancing our natural environment. It would also have a significant adverse effect on the function of the Green Wedge”.
