Builder loses his High Court fight over number of homes in Great Wyrley
A builder has lost a High Court battle over the number of new homes needed in a village in the next 15 years.
Campaigners fighting to stop Ken Lees' bid to develop a pocket of greenbelt land between two Staffordshire villages were today celebrating the news.
Builder Mr Lees and his company, Cannock-based KGL Estates Ltd, had legally challenged South Staffordshire District Council over its assessment that just 56 new homes will be required in Great Wyrley between now and 2028. Mr Lees today branded the High Court decision 'ridiculous'.
The figure of 56 is contained in the council's local plan, which all planning authorities are required to submit to the government.
Mr Lees, aged 77, had argued that Great Wyrley had sufficient infrastructure for substantially more housing and took his fight to the High Court in Birmingham. But it today emerged he has lost the battle.
Mr Lees said: "We are clearly disappointed to lose the case, which now leaves Great Wyrley with only three to four new houses per year over the next 15 years, and only a small percentage of these will be 'affordable'.
"To me, having now been developing throughout the area for the past 50 years, to put Great Wyrley in this position for a growing population is ridiculous, and hopefully the minister will think likewise."
Mr Lees also currently has an appeal pending with the government's planning inspectorate over the building of 141 homes on land off Landywood Lane, in Great Wyrley.
The application was originally thrown out by council planners on the grounds it was greenbelt land.
Campaigners today hailed the decision and said they hoped Mr Lees would now withdraw his appeal to the Secretary of State over the homes in Great Wyrley.
Resident Alan Morgan, aged 64, of Streets Lane, in Great Wyrley, said: "We can't see how it is possible for him to continue with an an application to build 141 homes when the local plan, backed up by the high Court, says only 56 houses can be built."
