Victory for the Countryside: Planning Refused at Ashbourne Greenfield Site

Application Ref: 24/00097/OUT | Land North East of Windsor Close, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

In a significant win for countryside protection in Derbyshire, Derbyshire Dales District Council’s Planning Committee has refused outline planning permission for the erection of 30 dwellinghouses on unallocated greenfield land to the north east of Windsor Close, Ashbourne. CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire played a central role in challenging this application from the outset, and the refusal represents a clear affirmation of the principles that CPRE has long championed: protecting valued landscapes, upholding the plan-led system, and ensuring that development is directed to appropriate and sustainable locations.

A Long-Running Battle Since 2024

This application, first submitted in 2024 as a resubmission, has been the subject of sustained scrutiny and objection by CPRE throughout its lifetime. The site lies outside the defined settlement boundary of Ashbourne and was not allocated for development within the adopted Local Plan. From the moment the application came to our attention, CPRE recognised it as an unjustified encroachment into open agricultural countryside — precisely the kind of proposal our organisation exists to challenge. Our volunteers and planning subcommittee monitored the application closely, prepared detailed representations, and ultimately supported the preparation of a formal speech delivered to the Planning Committee at the determination hearing.

The Grounds of CPRE’s Objection

CPRE’s objection was founded on four clear planning concerns, each of which reflected genuine and unresolved constraints affecting the site:

Conflict with the plan-led system. The site was unallocated greenfield pasture land lying outside Ashbourne’s defined settlement boundary. CPRE consistently argued that permitting housing on such land risked undermining the integrity of the adopted Local Plan and setting a dangerous precedent for incremental encroachment into the surrounding countryside. Our brownfield-first approach remains central to everything we do.

Flood risk and drainage concerns. Despite the site being categorised as Flood Zone 1, independent technical evidence indicated that localised overland flooding already occurred, driven by the site’s steep topography and rapid surface water runoff. Proposed drainage solutions raised serious questions about deliverability, including reliance on outfalls on private land and infrastructure in poor condition. CPRE viewed this as a fundamental site constraint that had not been adequately resolved.

Landscape, ecology, and countryside character. The proposal would have introduced built form into open agricultural land that contributes meaningfully to the rural setting and local landscape character of Ashbourne. The site’s hedgerows, mature trees, and associated habitats provide biodiversity value, carbon storage, and visual amenity. Their loss, even incrementally, erodes the environmental resilience that national policy seeks to protect.

Unsustainable location for new housing. While a nearby bus stop was noted, the practical reality of a gradient of approximately 1 in 10 significantly limited the viability of active travel for future residents. This topography, confirmed within the application’s own technical assessments, indicated that car dependency would be the inevitable outcome — directly at odds with the principles of sustainable transport embedded in both local and national planning policy.

Speaking Up at Committee

CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire prepared a statement which was read out at the Planning Committee hearing, setting out the planning conflicts clearly and respectfully requesting refusal. The speech emphasised that the proposal failed on multiple policy grounds and that approving it would send entirely the wrong signal to developers looking to exploit unallocated countryside sites. The Committee listened carefully, and its decision to refuse the application reflects a proper application of planning principles.

What This Decision Means

This refusal is more than a single planning outcome — it is a reaffirmation that the plan-led system works when it is properly applied and robustly defended. It demonstrates that well-evidenced, principled objections from community and countryside organisations carry genuine weight in the planning process. It also sends a clear message to developers that unallocated greenfield sites on the edge of settlements will not be permitted simply because housing numbers are needed nationally.

CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire will continue to monitor this site and any future resubmission or appeal carefully. We will remain engaged with Derbyshire Dales District Council’s ongoing Local Plan Review — a further consultation is expected in August 2026 — to ensure that countryside land around Ashbourne and across the district is properly protected through the plan-making process.

“This outcome is a victory for the countryside, for the plan-led system, and for the communities who depend on both. CPRE will continue to stand up for valued greenfield land and ensure that development is directed to the right places for the right reasons.”