More discussions held over controversial Cliviger homes plan

An application to build 129 new homes in Red Lees Road, Cliviger, was deferred back in October to allow councillors to have further discussions with the developer about the design and layout of the scheme.

The houses, which would be built on green land in the parish, had attracted widespread local opposition, but a meeting on Monday night at Burnley Town Hall saw the developers return with a moderated plan, reducing the number of houses to 125.

The council has now agreed to let the application be decided at the next Development Control Committee, which will be held in the New Year.

Other proposed changes include the introduction of five affordable houses on the site. The tenure of these will be discount to market sale at 80% of open market value with the remainder of the affordable housing offer being met off-site by way of a contribution of £396,355 (the council would use this sum to re-use empty homes for affordable housing).

There is also an agreement in place for the developers to pay the full contribution of £980,832.54 towards education provision, whilst an additional 63 semi-mature trees will be planted along the three most exposed boundaries (these being Red Lees Road, the South East boundary and the South West corner).

The application was first discussed in August when the plan was due to be given the green light, with a raft of conditions attached, at a meeting of Burnley Council's planning committee.

However, after a long and heated debate members of the committee rejected the plans.

But as the site was identified for a large housing development in the Burnley Borough Council's Local Plan in 2017 and to turn it down would be 'substantial departure' from the local plan, both the council's solicitor and Head of Housing and Development Control directed that the issue had to be referred to the full council.