A PLANNING inspector commended Fenland District Council on its efforts to regenerate the Nene Waterfront area when he dismissed a planning appeal lodged by Elgood s Brewery. The council gave the inspector a copy of the Nene Waterfront development brief, w

A PLANNING inspector commended Fenland District Council on its efforts to regenerate the Nene Waterfront area when he dismissed a planning appeal lodged by Elgood's Brewery.

The council gave the inspector a copy of the Nene Waterfront development brief, which was used in his guidance to refuse an outline proposal for a development of up to eight homes on land next to the Bowling Green pub, in Lynn Road, Wisbech.

"The development brief is an important document aimed, not only a guiding the development of individual sites, but at securing public and private funding and co-ordinating improvement works," he said.

The application was originally refused because the council considered that a contribution of £6,164 should be made in respect of each of the proposed homes.

And the inspector said: "I am satisfied that at least some of this requirement is justified, and that the appellants' refusal to make any contribution is unreasonable and inconsistent with the development brief."

He said it would be very unlikely that the development would not give rise to a need for some contribution and as "none has been made or offered, it would be wrong to grant planning permission".