Planners at BHP win appeal for North East Nursery

14th Mar 2008

PLANS for a £10m-plus investment to bring 70 jobs to the heart of a North East community are back on track after developers won a four-year battle with a local council.

Businessmen Ian Howlett and Paul Nelson, who own Nunthorpe Nurseries Group, are finally set to press ahead with proposals for a children’s nursery, health centre and nursing home to be created in the centre of Ingleby Barwick.

The duo have spoken of their admiration for the role played by the planning team at Blackett Hart and Pratt Solicitors, which successfully represented them in their fight against Stockton Borough Council.

Nunthorpe Nurseries had outline plans for a children’s nursery and community centre on land north of Blair Avenue accepted by the authority in 2004.

But when they developed the proposals by pioneering one of the country’s first eco-parks for the site they were rejected by planners.

After a series of further battles, a final scheme to build a nursery, care home and health centre was also thrown out by the council a year ago.

Mr Howlett and Mr Nelson appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, calling upon the expertise of Blackett Hart and Pratt planning consultants.

Steve Barker explained: “The final scheme was almost identical to the first in terms of the site, the number of visitors expected and the anticipated traffic. It was a slight change of use and a slightly different layout to the application that had original been granted permission but otherwise was the same.”

Following the hearing earlier this year, a Government inspector has not only given the development the go-ahead saying the council members conduct had been unreasonable, but also took the unusual step of awarding the applicant all of its costs against the authority.

Nunthorpe Nurseries is now preparing to start work on the health centre, 50-place day nursery and a 75-place care home.

Mr Howlett said: “It’s taken us four years to get to where we are now. Ingleby Barwick is Europe’s biggest housing estate and we believe these facilities will be invaluable to the local community.

“Blackett Hart and Pratt were excellent for us at the appeal. They were very professional and delivered an astute presentation. No stone was left unturned and they put forward extremely strong and logical arguments in our favour.”

Author: Steve Barker (BryanH@bhplaw.co.uk)