What is Being Proposed?
Understanding the application and why it is being submitted now
Why Chorley is Vulnerable to This Application
Chorley Council can only demonstrate a 3.4-year housing land supply against the required 5 years. The Housing Delivery Test has also been failed at 57%. This triggers the "tilted balance" under NPPF — making it easier for developers to get permissions in areas with housing shortfalls. Applethwaite Homes is exploiting this weakness.
The application claims the site qualifies as "grey belt" land under the new NPPF (December 2024) — a new category designed to release low-quality Green Belt for development. However, Chorley's own planning officers have been instructed to refuse such applications given the advanced stage of the Central Lancashire Local Plan examination. The Planning Statement itself quotes this officer position (para. 1.1.8).
The applicant promoted this exact site for inclusion in the emerging Central Lancashire Local Plan — and it was not allocated. The plan-making process, which is currently at examination, assessed Mawdesley's growth needs and found that the village does not need this site. This speculative application attempts to circumvent that conclusion.
- 2021 census: Mawdesley had 762 households
- Already approved (Gorsey Lane, ref. 22/00941/FULMAJ): 55 dwellings
- This application: 78 further dwellings
- Combined new growth: 133 dwellings — a 17.5% increase on the entire village within a very short period
- Mawdesley is classified as a Tier 5 small village in the emerging Local Plan — the lowest tier, expected to accommodate only small-scale development
Objection Grounds
Ten legally robust grounds — tap each card to expand the detail
Site Plans & Evidence
Official plans from the submitted application — tap to zoom
- The site wraps directly around the Millennium Green — Mawdesley's principal community amenity
- Access is taken directly off New Street, a narrow 20mph road, close to the existing Tarnbeck Drive junction
- The Constraints Plan shows the public sewer running through the site centre — requiring an exclusion zone
- Surface water flood risk areas are clearly visible across significant portions of the site on the FRA mapping
- An Ordinary Watercourse runs along the northern boundary with 'danger for most' hazard rating
Key Dates & Timeline
What has happened and what needs to happen
Application Validated
Consultation letters sent to statutory consultees, neighbours and Parish Council. Application made publicly available at planning.chorley.gov.uk.
LCC Education Formal Objection Submitted
Lancashire County Council submitted a formal objection requiring up to £502,843 for secondary school places at Bishop Rawstorne CofE Language College.
Consultation Period Closes
All resident and Parish Council objections must be submitted by this date for guaranteed consideration. Later comments accepted but not guaranteed before decision.
Statutory Consultee Responses
Awaited responses from: Lancashire Highways, Environment Agency, Natural England (critical for HRA), United Utilities. These will be published on the planning register.
Officer Report & Potential Committee Date
If called in to Planning Committee, the Parish Council has the right to address members. All expert reports and independent assessments should be ready by this stage.
Central Lancashire Local Plan Examination
The CLLP examination commenced December 2025. The Inspector's findings on housing land supply and Mawdesley's Tier 5 classification are critical material considerations.
Parish Council Action Plan
Recommended actions in priority order
| # | Action | Responsibility | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Submit formal Parish Council objection covering all grounds in the strategy | Parish Council / Clerk Trish Grimshaw | URGENT |
| 2 | Commission independent transport consultant to review the TA and prepare rebuttal report | Parish Council + Residents Fund | URGENT |
| 3 | Write to LCC Highways setting out cumulative New Street concerns, citing Gorsey Lane proximity | Parish Council | URGENT |
| 4 | Write to Natural England requesting formal HRA response timeline — potential legal stopper | Parish Council | URGENT |
| 5 | Write to LCC Education supporting their objection; request confirmation Bishop Rawstorne cannot expand | Parish Council | URGENT |
| 6 | Write to United Utilities requesting confirmation of water supply capacity and sewer exclusion zone | Parish Council | URGENT |
| 7 | Engage ward councillors — request call-in to Planning Committee | Parish Council Chair + Residents | URGENT |
| 8 | Write to MP for Chorley requesting awareness and support | Parish Council | THIS WEEK |
| 9 | Make formal representations to CLLP examination on cumulative growth | Parish Council + planning consultant | HIGH |
| 10 | Mobilise community — encourage every resident to submit individual objection online | Residents Association + Parish Council | URGENT |
| 11 | Commission downstream hydrological assessment to challenge the FRA conclusions | Parish Council + Residents Fund | HIGH |
| 12 | If application proceeds to committee — instruct planning consultant / counsel for advocacy | Parish Council + Residents Fund | IF NEEDED |
How to Object — Resident Guide
Every objection counts. Here is how to make yours effective
Go to the Planning Portal
Visit planning.chorley.gov.uk, search for reference 26/00116/FULMAJ and click "Make a Comment". You will need to register a free account.
State Your Objection Clearly
Begin with: "I object to this application." Include your full name and address — anonymous objections carry less weight with planning officers and committees.
Use Material Planning Grounds
Focus on the grounds listed on this page: highway safety, flood risk, infrastructure gaps, school capacity, village character, and the CLLP process. Avoid property values or personal views on housing generally.
Be Personal and Specific
Describe what YOU have personally experienced — near-misses on New Street, flooding in your garden, difficulty getting a GP appointment, the reality of the bus service. Specific local evidence is powerful.
Reference Gorsey Lane
Note that 55 dwellings were approved at Gorsey Lane and are not yet built. Ask whether infrastructure impacts from that development have even been assessed before approving 78 more.
Submit Before 6 March
The formal consultation period closes on 6 March 2026. Later comments are accepted but may not be guaranteed consideration. Submit as soon as possible.
The following will be disregarded as non-material and will weaken your objection: general opposition to all new housing; concerns about property values; dislike of the architectural style; the view from your window; concerns about newcomers. Keep all objections focused on the material planning issues above.
- "This site conflicts with Core Strategy Policy 1(f) which limits development in small villages to local needs and small scale"
- "Lancashire County Council Education has formally objected — secondary school capacity is already projected to be 22 places short by 2031"
- "No Habitat Regulations Assessment has been submitted — the site falls within the Impact Risk Zone of Martin Mere SPA and Ramsar site"
- "This site was not allocated in the emerging Central Lancashire Local Plan which is currently at examination — this application would pre-empt and undermine that plan-making process"
- "The cumulative addition of 78 dwellings on top of the 55 already approved at Gorsey Lane represents a 17.5% increase in the entire housing stock of this small Tier 5 village"
Download the Full Strategy
Complete 25-page objection strategy document with all grounds, evidence and recommendations
Planning Objection Strategy Document
The full strategy covers all 10 objection grounds in depth, a 12-point Parish Council action plan, resident guidance, expert report recommendations, a full timeline, and advice on what to do if the application is approved. Available as a Microsoft Word document.
Click "Print / Save as PDF" above, or use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P). In the print dialog, choose "Save as PDF" as the destination. This will save the full dashboard as a PDF document including all objection grounds and site plans.