Councillors in Newcastle-under-Lyme have blocked a developer's bid to build 18 more homes on a new housing estate – branding it a 'cynical land grab'.

Bellway Homes wanted to add the extra houses to the 200-home Baldwin's Gate Farm scheme by removing a parcel of public open space from the plans.

Planning officers at Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council had recommended the change for approval, noting that it would still leave the development with 3.9 hectares of open space – well above the minimum 0.8 hectares required by policy.

But members of the planning committee went against their officers' recommendation and refused the three applications submitted by Bellway.

They said the change would result in loss of amenity for future residents and would represent 'overdevelopment' of the site.

Outline permission for the development was granted at appeal in 2023, with a condition requiring 5.1 hectares of open space.

Bellway submitted applications to amend this condition, alter the layout of the devlopment, and request permission for 18 extra homes.

Debbie Farringdon from Cerda Planning, speaking on behalf of the applicants, told the committee that the amended development would be sustainable and make 'efficient use of land'.

She said: "There will be no adverse impacts on the character of the area or the residential amenity for existing and future occupiers.

"There is no objection from the county council in relation to highway safety or flood risk, nor from environmental health. All proposals comply with required guidance and local plan policy, and a legal agreement will secure five affordable houses on site and contributions to education."

The applications received objections from a number of local residents and Whitmore Parish Council.

Parish council chair Neill Walker said that the proposals would result in a nine per cent increase in the number of homes, altering the 'carefully balanced scheme'.

He said: "That public open space formed part of the planning balance which justified the appeal decision. Officers may argue that significant open space remains in quantitative terms but that misses the fundamental issue.

"Community infrastructure that formed part of the approved scheme is being reduced in order to maximise housing numbers. That changes the balance struck by the planning inspector."

Committee members voted unanimously to refuse all three of Bellway's applications.

Councillor Andrew Fear argued that approving the changes would leave future residents with less open space, and would result in the scheme going over the 200-home allocation in the recently adopted local plan.

He said: "The amount is small in a way, but almost one square foot in four of open space will be lost. I haven't heard any reason why that's being done apart from sheer greed and opportunism.

"I just don't think this is acceptable. It's a loss of amenity for the people on the estate. It's a very cynical land grab."

Councillor David Hutchison said a 23 per cent reduction in open space is 'not negligible', and raised concerns over future applications adding even more homes to the development.