Cofton wins planning appeal for residential development on former RAF Watton site

Cofton Ltd, the brownfield land regeneration specialist, has won their planning appeal to develop more houses at Blenheim Grange, the 40-acre residential regeneration of former Norfolk airbase RAF Watton. The decision heralds the end of a 15 month long appeal process and is a positive coup for the Breckland community who currently experience a pressing need for affordable housing in the area.

The Secretary of State agreed with the inspector’s report, which found that Cofton’s proposal helps towards meeting national and regional targets for the use of brownfield land and that planning permission for the proposal should be granted.

Cofton's application to amend part of the existing employment planning permission at the site to residential was refused in June 2005 by the Breckland Planning Committee in that the application was not in line with the Authority's policy for employment on that site. The inspectors report however, concluded there was sufficient employment land in both Watton and the Breckland area capable of providing for job growth and economic regeneration.

The report also addressed the more pressing and acknowledged shortage of affordable housing in the area which Blenheim Grange will help rectify with the provision of approximately 120 affordable homes within the 400 which this decision allows for.

Cofton has already begun preparation of the site, which had been vacant for the past 15 years. The planned work includes the demolition of hangers and the installation of hard infrastructure that will improve access to the site and ready it for new house builders who hope to commence work in June 2007. These will be in addition to Taylor Woodrow who had already commenced work on that part of the site which already benefits from a detailed planning consent.

Peter Nelson, managing director, Cofton Ltd said: "We are delighted with the outcome of this appeal decision, as it vindicates our position from the outset that this site was an obvious candidate for the delivery of new homes on sustainable Brownfield location within a high quality mixed use scheme. It also reinforces Cofton’s ability to assemble and manage a strong planning team to deliver the required outcome from what is a complex process. The only disappointment is the time, effort, and money it has taken to arrive at this inevitable outcome. The supply of new and affordable housing is falling ever farther behind the demand for it."

Ends