The Barnsley Council Planning Regulatory Board was scheduled to meet on Tuesday 30 September 2025 to discuss planning applications and consultation reports. Among the items for discussion was a plan for the erection of 17 dwellings off Watermill Gardens in Penistone, and a plan for 104 dwellings off High Street in Great Houghton. The board was also scheduled to review the reports on member consultations from June and July 2025.

Planning Applications

Land off High Street, Great Houghton

A full planning application for the erection of 104 dwellings, including associated works, at land off High Street, Great Houghton, Barnsley, was scheduled to be discussed. The applicant for the proposed residential development is Avant Homes.

The application site is 3.54 hectares. Most of the site is designated as an allocated housing site HS90 within the adopted Barnsley Local Plan, with a site area of 3.15 hectares and capacity for 67 dwellings. A smaller area of land to the south of the housing site is allocated as Urban Fabric within the Local Plan. The site is located within Flood Zone 1, which has the lowest risk of flooding.

The proposal includes 15 different house types of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bed properties, including bungalows and 2 and 2.5 storey detached and semi-detached dwellings. Each dwelling has a private garden area with parking spaces (1 space per 1/2 bed and 2 spaces per 3+ beds) created within the plots or within parking courts. The proposal includes visitor parking spaces, and a further 14 spaces can be provided on street along the spine road.

The proposal includes a new main vehicular access to the site, which will be provided from the B6273 High Street to the northwest of the site, via a simple priority T-junction and comprises a 6m carriageway on site access road, a 2m footway on either flank of the carriageway and a 10m junction radii. The internal highway scheme includes estate roads and private drives, including a footpath link to the north of the site. Throughout the site, 2m footways will also be provided. Other highway works outside of the site, include a new 2m wide footway to the site frontage to the north western boundary along High Street. Two crossings are proposed, one to the south of the northern pedestrian link, a pedestrian refuge island is proposed just north of Lister Row to facilitate access to the bus stop turnaround. A pedestrian refuge island is also proposed on High Street to the south of the main site access, just to the north of the proposed pedestrian link into the Site. This connection will provide a link with the nearby bus stop turnaround area on High Street.

The proposal includes a scheme of landscaping, including a Public Open Space area, attenuation basin, the enhancement of existing hedgerow and trees, and additional planting throughout the site. The proposal provides Biodiversity Net Gain, 10% of which will be provided off-site. As part of ecological mitigation efforts, the site will include bird and bat boxes, hedgehog highways, and a barn owl box.

12 representations were received to the original submitted proposal and 12 representations received to the amended plans consultation. The representations raised the following material planning issues:

• Impact on wildlife
• Impact on nesting birds and bats
• Noise impact
• Concerns the proposal will result in the blocking of driveways
• Traffic congestion
• Impact on local services, schools, doctors, shops and dentists
• Flood risk and impact on drainage/sewage capacity
• Less housing should be proposed
• Disruption during construction
• Road pollution from traffic and health impact
• Impact on farmers businesses
• Internal layout appears too constrained
• Impact on access for emergency vehicles, insufficient parking and visitor spaces
• Impact on pedestrians and child safety
• Proposal will exacerbate peak-time traffic congestion
• Increase turning movements at a point near bends and junctions
• Overdevelopment of the site/density
• Cumulative impact with other developments
• Harmful impact on the rural character of Great Houghton

The report stated that the proposal was considered to be acceptable in policy terms, being mainly designated as a Housing Proposal Site within the Local Plan, and partially within urban fabric, and was therefore considered to be an acceptable and sustainable form of development in line with the Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. It was noted that the report demonstrates that any harm generated by the proposal is outweighed by other material planning considerations, and that the development would not cause an unacceptable level of harm to neighbouring properties, the highway network, trees, biodiversity or the wider character of the area subject to suitably worded conditions.

The report recommended that planning permission be granted subject to conditions and the completion of an agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in relation to:

• 10 affordable homes as shown on the site layout
• £178,249.12 Green Space Contribution
• £240,000 Education Contribution to Secondary School Places
• £78,000 Sustainable Travel Contribution

Land off Watermill Gardens, Penistone

The Planning Regulatory Board was scheduled to discuss a full planning application for the erection of 17 dwellings with associated parking, drainage and landscaping on land off Watermill Gardens, Penistone. The applicant for the proposed development is Mulgrave Developments Ltd.

The application site is located south of Penistone Grammar School and north of Watermill Gardens. The majority of the application site is allocated in the adopted Barnsley Local Plan (2019) as Housing Site HS70 Land to north of Barnsley Road, Penistone, with the proposed Public Open Space areas being allocated as Urban Fabric within the Local Plan.

The application is being presented to Members due to the application requiring a Section 106 Agreement. A total of 31 representations were received from local residents during the rounds of consultations. The recommendation to grant planning permission is subject to the signing of a S106 Agreement to secure financial contributions/obligations in relation to the following:

a) 4 affordable homes

b) £58,500 Affordable shortfall

c) £31,712.07 Green space Contribution

d) £112,000 Education Contribution

e) £17,000 Sustainable Travel Contribution

f) BEMP and a £19,250 Biodiversity Contribution for off-site mitigation

The report stated that the proposal was considered to be acceptable in policy terms, being mainly designated as a Housing Proposal Site within the Local Plan. It was noted that the report demonstrates that any harm generated by the proposal is outweighed by other material planning considerations, and that the development would not cause an unacceptable level of harm to neighbouring properties, the highway network, biodiversity/trees, heritage assets or visual amenity subject to suitably worded conditions.

Member Consultation Reports

The Planning Regulatory Board was scheduled to review the outcomes of the planning applications agenda packs issued as Board Member Consultations in advance of the June and July 2025 Planning Regulatory Board meetings.

June 2025

The report on board member consultations on the June 2025 PRB agenda pack summarised the consultation comments received for three applications:

• 2024/1007: Change of use from Residential Care Home (Class C2¹) to 24 apartments (Class C3²) at Rockley Dene, Residential Home, Park Road, Worsbrough, Barnsley. No responses were received.
• 2024/1038: Formation of vehicular access and drop kerb to classified road at 45 Barnsley Road, Dodworth, Barnsley. No responses were received.
• 2023/1016: Erection of 2 B2/B8[^4] employment units with associated works at Premdor, Birthwaite Business Park, Huddersfield Road, Darton, Barnsley. No responses were received.

The report noted that the applications were to proceed delegated for approval in accordance with the officer recommendation, the signing of the S106, and the conditions set out in the officer report.

July 2025

The report on board member consultations on the July 2025 PRB agenda pack summarised the consultation comments received for four applications related to signage at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley:

• 2025/0182: Proposed removal of existing building signage and display of 1no. 2150 x 300mm hanging sign and 1no. 500mm x 400mm fascia sign (Listed building consent) at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Unit 10 Lower, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley. One response was received raising no objections.
• 2025/0183: Proposed removal of existing building signage and display of 1no. 2150 x 300mm hanging sign and 1no. 500mm x 400mm fascia sign (Advert) at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Unit 10 Lower, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley. One response was received raising no objections.
• 2025/0373: Installation of replacement signage (Listed Building Consent) at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley. One response was received raising no objections.
• 2025/0379: Installation of replacement signage (Advert) at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley. One response was received raising no objections.

The report noted that the applications were to proceed delegated for approval in accordance with the officer recommendation and the conditions set out in the officer report.