A PLANNING inspectorate has found that Hambleton District Council has earmarked an adequate supply of land for housing, after a legal challenge by developers.

John Gray has ruled that the council was correct in deciding to refuse Gladman Developments permission to build up to 175 homes off Stillington Road in Easingwold, after an appeal by the company.

One of the key arguments of the appeal was that the council had failed to earmark enough land for house-building in the district in its Development Plan.

The outcome of the inquiry was being followed closely by a number of residents’ groups in the district fighting proposed developments on other sites the council has not allocated for building.

The Development Plan identifies land for housing based on calculated housing needs for the district.

Mr Gray agreed the proposal conflicted with the council’s Development Plan, but noted that the amount of land the council had approved as suitable for housing in the district was “only just adequate to provide a five-year supply”.

The estimated need for housing in the district amounts to 458 per year, or 2,400 over five years. Mr Gray said the present supply of land would enable a little over 2,400 homes.

The news has been welcomed in other areas of the district where proposals to build houses on land that falls outside the Development Plan.

In Stokesley an appeal has been lodged by developers against refusal of outline planning permission to build up to 226 homes off Tanton Road in Stokesley. The site lies on agricultural land and is outside the Local Development Framework (LDF).

A planning inquiry to look into the appeal has been scheduled begin on March 3, at the Evolution Business Centre in Northallerton.

Stokesley resident Andy Price, who is with the Save Our Stokesley (SOS) campaign group, said: “Certainly, from what I’ve seen the local residents are very encouraged by the decision at Easingwold."

He added: “Obviously, with the Tanton Road development I’m sure everyone hopes a similar view will be taken by the planning authority.

“What we’ve learnt from the SOS group is that planning regulations are planning regulations and that the councils try their hardest to work to them and we hope they keep to that with the Tanton Road development.”

Another planning inquiry opened on Wednesday, (January 14) into an appeal by Gladman Developments after it was refused outline permission to build homes on the site of School Farm, off Station Road in Great Ayton. That inquiry is ongoing and is expected to finish this week.