A number of constituents have been in contact with me regarding a planning application to develop 34 large houses on land to the east side of Blackbrook Lane, Bickley. It follows a similar application that was opposed by locally-elected representatives at the time, and which was subsequently rejected by Bromley Council in April 2010. The site, which measures around 3.3 hectares and lies just to the north of Bromley High School, is designated as Green Belt.
Policy on the Green Belt is crystal clear, both in Bromley’s UDP, and also in National Planning Guidance (NPPF, paras 79-92). Planning permission should not be given unless i) very special circumstances exist, or ii) a proposed development does not cause demonstrable harm against the core purposes of Green Belt provision. In this particular case, I do not believe that the evidence presented by the applicant is anywhere near sufficient to rebut the very strong protections that are in place to preserve designated land of this kind.
Whilst I am anxious to lend support to good quality schemes that deliver new homes in our Capital, it is not acceptable to cut across agreed local planning priorities and undermine the import role of Bromley’s Green Belt. Needless to say, therefore, I shall be working with local Ward Councillors in opposing this scheme. This is not an appropriate site for housing development.