Cala Homes ups legal challenge
Cala Homes has launched a new legal challenge in its long-running bid to gain planning permission for a proposed development of 2,000 homes on a greenfield site near Winchester
In September, the communities secretary Eric Pickles refused to allow the build to go ahead in order to give the local authority time to complete the core strategy of its development plan.
Cala Homes’ appeal argues that Pickles’ decision, which went against the recommendation of his planning inspector, misinterprets planning law and places too great an emphasis on emerging development plans at the expense of those in existence.
Cala Homes applied for permission for its development at the beginning of 2010, but it was refused in June of that year.
The firm subsequently argued that its plans fall under the existing regional spatial strategy (RSS), which calls for 612 new homes to be built each year, and successfully overturned Pickles’ attempt to revoke RSS ahead of legislation earlier this year.