A SCHOOL playing field has had plans approved for the building of 41 new homes and a replacement sports pavilion with improved pitches.

The application consisting of 29 marketable two, three and four-bed homes, with 12 one, two and three affordable homes mixed within the site in Giggleswick, was given the go-ahead subject to agreed conditions at Monday’s Craven District Council planning committee meeting.

The development site between Lords Close and Sandholme Close and comprises two parcels of land the northern parcel now approved for sports use with community use and the southern parcel for the housing development.

The application site is an allocated site in the Local Plan and had been put forward by Giggleswick School and Wellesley Homes. In its design and access statement the applicants said: “The scale of the proposed dwellings is in keeping with the local character and scale.”

However, a number of residents, including Giggleswick Parish Council, said the density of 41 was considered to be too high and would create a crowded appearance when compared to neighbouring Lords Close and Sandholme Close which were more spacious.

Planning officer Andrea Muscroft said when the two former developments were built the Local Plan was not in place and there was no control over density at that time.

She said the listed Local Plan density for the site was fewer - around 35 homes- but the Local Plan allowed some flexibility and officers deemed the number put forward was appropriate for the site.

Another concern was the lack of solar panels and the visual look of the building materials.

Councillor Andy Brown asked for conditions to be included that each new home had a solar panel and that the houses should be built of natural stone and slate tiled roofs, instead of reconstituted stone walls and grey concrete tiles.

He said that as the design stands, they were ‘ugly’ and didn’t enhance the area. “It is shocking that we have a development of this size without a single solar panel. Ideally, every roof should have a solar panel on it. (The cost) won’t put people off. Quite the reverse,” he said.

Cllr Brown also suggested a condition removing permitted development rights which the applicant had said it would be happy with.

Cllr Robert Heseltine said he was concerned about the ‘bog standard box’ design of the affordable homes.

The planning department was given delegated authority to approve the plans subject to the conditions being agreed.