Proposals for two new housing developments in Broughton have been granted.

Hollins Strategic Land Management and Wainhomes both appealed a decision made by Preston City Council in summer last year to block development.

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A planning inspector has now overturned both decisions by the city council and said the developers can build.

Both applications faced fierce objections from nearby residents and Broughton Parish Council.

During an appeal hearing at the Town Hall, Preston City Council was forced to withdraw its defence for rejecting the application as it could not demonstrate that it had a five-year plan for enough housing supply in the city.

Inspector Keith Manning has ruled up to 130 homes can be built at the Keyfold Farm site off Garstang Road and up to 97 homes can be built off Sandy Gate Lane.

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A spokeswoman for the Parish Council said: ” We are very disappointed by this decision but realistically after the withdrawal from the appeal by Preston planning department we realised this would be the probable outcome.

“We will be seeking advice as what we can do next. It’s seems a real conundrum that with all the development going on in the North West Preston Development Area that there are not enough houses being built and planned for.

“We will continue with our Neighbourhood plan so we can have a village the community wants even though it is to late to stop these developments.”

An application by both developers to force Preston City Council to pay their legal costs has failed.

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Director of planning at the city council Chris Hayward said following the planning inquiry hearings in February: “Upon advice from our Barrister, we took the decision to end our participation in the public inquiry after conceding that we cannot currently demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable housing land, as required by Government policy.

“We continue to have concerns about the Government’s policy on housing land supply and the uncertainty this creates, even when there is a recently-adopted local plan in place. We feel that this undermines confidence in the planning system, a view which Preston City Council has already expressed to the Minister for Planning.”

What do you think of the decision by the planning inspector? Do you live in Broughton? Let us know in the comments below