Villagers win fight against plans for 115 new homes on ‘flood plains’ near Lancaster

Members of the planning committee meeting today, Monday, turned down the proposals by developers Wain Homes for the properties to be built off Highland Brow.

As we reported in June, villagers put together a comprehensive set of objections to the plans, saying the land had already been previously set aside by Lancaster City Council as a Green Buffer Zone following a public consultation - designed to protect the residents, village and many species of endangered animals, birds and fauna in the area.

"Now it appears that city planning have disregarded their very own agreements and thrown the village of Galgate under a bus!" a residents’ group said in a joint statement at the time.

Residents also feared flooding issues in the area would be further exacerbated by extra homes, as well as increased traffic problems in the area.

Villagers were supported by Lancaster MP Cat Smith, who wrote to Lancaster City Council’s planning committee, imploring them to reject the application.

A statement from the residents' group celebrating the council decision said: "One councillor was overheard to say that they had never seen a stronger case put against a planning application.

"Galgate residents collectively campaigned to resist the development on every possible ground.

"Over 390 objections were registered, on environmental grounds and the loss of habitat, on road safety grounds and on the increased risk of flooding.

"At the meeting Galgate residents further objected that local schools and health services were already oversubscribed and the fact that more housing means more cars which will result in more pollution.

"It is being seen as a victory for the locals and common sense."

Documents submitted by Emery Planning on behalf of Wain Homes said the development had been designed specifically so that Galgate remained a separate settlement, and a Green Buffer between Galgate and Bailrigg Garden Village would remain.

‘’The development would be in an accessible location which can accommodate the development scheme socially, economically and environmentally, (and) would provide open space to meet the needs of existing and proposed residents," they said.