Walworth Road homes: Plans for development refused

Strategic land promotion company Macra Ltd sought to demolish existing structures that include poultry sheds on land near Walworth Road in Picket Piece.

The land, in the application, contained a number of disused sheds and areas of hardstanding and gravel.

The company said in its design statement that the proposal aims to make use of the disused brownfield site for the development of “attractive new housing” with a mix of sizes and tenures to “help meet local need”.

READ MORE: Plans submitted to demolish old poultry sheds and build 32 new houses

However, on Friday, May 26, borough council planners refused the application.

In its refusal, the council said: “It has not been demonstrated that a development of up to 32 dwellings at this site would integrate, respect or complement the character of the area in terms of the expected layout, scale and appearance, and that it would act as a transition between the more built up part of Picket Piece and the countryside.

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“Furthermore, it has not been sufficiently demonstrated that a proposed development of up to 32 dwellings at the site, together with a footway along the northern side of Walworth Road, could be designed or located to ensure that the health and future retention of important landscape features would not be prejudiced, or that existing and proposed landscaping and landscape features could be accommodated within the site that would enable the proposed development to positively integrate into the landscape character of the area.”

The council also said that no information had been provided with the application to demonstrate “that the proposal can achieve nutrient neutrality”, adding: “As such, it cannot be concluded that the proposal would not result in a likely harmful significant effect on the internationally designated nature conservation sites in the Solent.”