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Holiday cabins planned for farm could spoil area by looking like caravans

Posted on - 6th January, 2024 - 7:00am | Author - | Posted in - Business, Longridge, Preston News, Ribble Valley Locations, Ribble Valley News
Rush Paddock Farm, Osbaldeston. Plan for six holiday cabins on land and the site's surrounding area.
Rush Paddock Farm, Osbaldeston

Plans for holiday cabins on a Ribble Valley farm site have sparked a host of objections including the loss of agriculture and fears the homes could look like ‘caravans’.

Applicant Laurance Sunter, of Rush Paddock Farm, Osbaldeston, has submitted a plan for six holiday homes to Ribble Valley Council. The plans are for different-sized cabins with one, two or three bedrooms. Mr Sunter is working with agent Allan Lloyd-Haydock, of Longridge-based ALH Design.

The application says the site is a vacant agricultural field which was last used for farming in March 2021. Plans include 12 car parking spaces with the holiday cabins.

Read more: The Ferret hoping to see ‘For Sale’ sign brought down soon

However 18 objections have come from the public, along with one from Lancashire County Council.

And Osbaldeston Parish Council has raised a ‘strong objection’, claiming the plan contradicts borough planning policies for recreation and tourism sectors, which aim to ensure new developments fit well with existing buildings or villages.

A Ribble Valley Council planning report states the parish council says the proposed holiday homes would be located half a kilometre outside the official village settlement boundary. And the holiday homes would have flat roofs and be clad in timber, in an area where stone buildings are typical.

The parish also says the form of the chalets would be ‘reminiscent of static caravans and not in keeping with the existing group of buildings’, the Ribble Valley planning report adds.

Regarding the area’s character, the parish council fears it would be ‘harmed significantly by the addition of six ‘transient households’. The chalets [would] open directly onto the back of a row of houses and there will be additional activity, noise and light pollution. The visual amenity of the area will be negatively impacted by removing open farmland and replacing it with a holiday park’, the parish council fears, the planning report adds.

Other concerns include traffic safety on Osbaldeston Lane, which is used by horse riders and walkers, and a lack of public transport for tourists. The nearest bus stop is over 1km away, the parish council says,

Regarding use of the farmland, objectors say the greenfield site is described as redundant farmland in the planning application. However, they claim it is ‘simply farmland’ and there are local farmers who would happily use it.

Other objections include a feared loss of privacy and ‘local ambience’ to existing residents; and fears of further ‘inappropriate development’ there or elsewhere along Osbaldeston Lane.

Lancashire County Council has also objected, citing road safety, limited visibility and the lack of a footpath.

Ribble Valley planning officers are recommending borough councillors to refuse the application. Officers say it would result in a ‘cramped, discordant, incongruous and anomalous’ development which would also harm the wider area’s character.

The council planning meeting is on Thursday, January 11.

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