An application to build five houses on former grazing land at Barleyhill Farm has become the most contested planning matter to reach the Guildhall this year, with more than sixty objections lodged before the consultation window closed.

The site sits at the northern edge of the valley, where the fields rise toward the ridge. Supporters point to a genuine shortage of family homes in Wrenfield; objectors say the wrong site has been chosen for the right need.

Where the objections land

The written comments cluster around a handful of concerns:

• Access onto the narrow Barleyhill lane, already tight for farm traffic
• Surface water drainage on a slope that feeds the Ackerbourne
• The loss of an open view from the ridge footpath
• Pressure on a primary school already near capacity

The applicant argues the scheme includes a new drainage pond and a widened lane entrance, and that two of the homes would be offered at below-market rates for local buyers.

The planning committee is expected to hear the application next month. Given the volume of correspondence, officers have signalled it may be deferred for a site visit before any vote. The Post will publish the committee’s reasoning in full, whichever way it falls.

Related: Town Hall reporting · the recreation ground debate

Further reading: How planning permission works

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The Wrenfield Post