85-home outline scheme at Land at Causeway Farm, Longsight Road, Balderstone
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Ribble Valley Planning and Development on 23 Jul 2026.
The site and its surroundings
The site lies outside Balderstone’s settlement limits beside the A59, with agricultural fields, public rights of way, ponds, a watercourse and protected trees.
“The application relates to an area of land outside of the defined settlement limits of Balderstone. The site is bounded to the northwest by the A59 and agricultural fields to the east and south. There are existing residential and commercial properties to the north and south, with the settlement of Osbaldeston to the north, whilst the settlement of Mellor lies to the south.”
“A number of public rights of way (six) cross the site at present which are FP030460, FP0304061, FP0304062, FP0304063, FP0304064 and FP0304065, these are proposed to be retained and/or diverted within the site. Bridleway 3-4-BW 70 lies adjacent to the site to the west.”
Officer report
Earlier applications
Two earlier outline applications for employment development on the site were refused in 2023 and 2024.
“3/2023/0148: Outline planning application for up to 9,290sq.m. of employment development. (Use Class B2 – General Industrial and/or Use Class B8 – Storage and Distribution) with access applied for off A59 Longsight Road (all other matters reserved) – Refused.”
“3/2024/0771: Outline planning application for up to 9,290sq.m. of employment development. (Use Class B2 – General Industrial and/or Use Class B8 – Storage and Distribution) with access applied for off A59 Longsight Road (all other matters reserved) – Refused.”
Officer report
What consultees said
Highways, drainage, ecology and education consultees raised objections or concerns, while the historic environment team found no need for further archaeological investigation.
“The HET is in agreement with the conclusions reached in para 8.1.5 of Lanpro’s 2025 Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment. The HET is therefore of the opinion that the site does not warrant any further archaeological investigation.”
“LLFA objects on the basis of an inadequate surface water sustainable drainage strategy which fails to demonstrate compliance with the priority hierarchy of runoff destinations as set out in the National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems as well as failing to demonstrate that the proposed development provides adequate measures to measure everyday rainfall events.”
Officer report
The committee’s decision
The committee refused planning permission for seven reasons concerning sustainability, landscape, protected species, biodiversity, access, drainage and noise.
“REFUSE PLANNING PERMISSION for the following reasons:”
“The proposal fails to demonstrate that would not result in harm to protected species as outlined in the submitted Ecology Report. In particular there are concerns about outstanding bat activity surveys and that the submitted certificate (DLL) for Great Crested Newts relates to a different type of development.”
Minutes
The members' reasons
The resolution gives these reasons:
Minutes
- The proposed development would result in large scale residential development in an unsustainable location which would fail to provide satisfactory opportunities for walking, cycling and public transport leading to a dependence upon private motor vehicles contrary to Key Statement DMI2 and Policies DMG1, DMG3 of the Ribble Valley Core Strategy 2008 -2028 as well as the National Planning Policy Fram
- The proposed development, by virtue of its overall scale and resultant loss and reduction of hedgerow adjacent to the road frontage would result in the introduction of an incongruous, unsympathetic, and discordant form of development, of an overtly suburban appearance, particularly when viewed from public vantage points along Longsight R
Source: the council's minutes, quoted word for word.
Sources
- Ribble Valley Planning and Development minutes, 23 July 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Ribble Valley's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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See the API →At the meeting
- Council
- Ribble Valley
- Date
- Thursday 23 July 2026
- Recommendation
- Officers recommended refusal
- Committee decided
- Refused
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- View application →
- All decisions
- Ribble Valley committee decisions →
This committee's year
9 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.