Priti Patel welcomes Black Notley development appeal refusal
The Witham MP, Priti Patel, has welcomed the decision taken by an independent planning inspector to throw out an appeal by speculative land developer Gladman, for 90 dwellings on a site in the countryside adjacent to Brain Valley Avenue, Black Notley.
The development would have had a harmful impact on the character of the countryside and landscape. The inspector agreed with the representations made by local residents, Priti Patel MP and an earlier decision taken by Braintree District Council.
Priti said: “This decision will be warmly welcomed by local residents in Black Notley and elsewhere as we have fought off these appalling plans. We’ve already seen significant development in and around the Black Notley area in recent years and these plans would have been damaging to the environment and countryside.”
Priti also cautioned that further sites in the District could be at risk from speculative developers: “Across the Witham constituency and Braintree District speculative developers have been pursuing unsuitable and unsustainable sites for over-development, against the wishes of local residents. Although we have had a successful outcome on this occasion, there have been too many speculative developments forced through already.
“Sadly, I suspect these developers will continue to look for sites to develop in our countryside that go against local wishes.”