A bid to build five new homes on land next to a North Staffordshire village has been thrown out by councillors who disputed the applicant's claim it was "Grey Belt".

The land west of Old Road, Barlaston, is located outside the settlement boundary of the village and within the North Staffordshire Green Belt.

Four previous applications to build a single home on the site have been rejected over the past 40 years, by the council and at planning appeal stage.

And on Wednesday (June 10) a fifth application – seeking permission in principle for up to five homes – was refused by Stafford Borough Council's planning committee.

The nature of the planning in principle application meant the committee was limited to considering location, land use and the amount of proposed development in its decision.

A report to the committee said: "The applicant is not required or expected at permission in principle stage to supply any detailed plans in regard to proposal.

"However, the planning statement has advised that the proposed dwellings would be bungalows, utilising a design and materials which would be compatible with the character and appearance of the surrounding area, but reserved to the Technical Details Consent stage.

"The applicant asserts that the application site comprises Grey Belt land."

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Stafford Borough Council received 68 objections to the application. Objectors raised concerns about existing traffic on Old Road, impact on infrastructure, flooding and encroachment into open countryside.

Cas Clifford, who spoke against the application at Wednesday's meeting, highlighted Barlaston's Neighbourhood Plan. She said: "The plan identifies the development boundary and the application sits outside the boundary on Green Belt land.

"It has identified a large quota of new housing in the village and the quota has been exceeded. A number of brownfield sites were also identified within the village, ideal for future development for hundreds of new houses which are yet to be developed.

"All obligations under the plans for new homes have been met in full by the parish. They have upheld their part of the contract – this alone should be enough to refuse this application.

"However, remarkably, the land in question is being downgraded from Green Belt to grey belt, so a section in the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) can be utilised to make this application.

"There have been four previous planning applications for this site – all applications were refused, all appealed and all appeals dismissed.

"Some may see this space as insignificant so it can be downgraded to Grey Belt. But for the villagers of Barlaston this space is of significant importance, safeguarding the countryside from encroachment, preserving the special character and appearance of the area."

The application, submitted by Inglewood Investment Company Limited, was recommended for approval by planning officers ahead of Wednesday's meeting.

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The committee report said: "The council is currently unable to demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable housing land.

"As a result, the presumption in favour of sustainable development is engaged, and significant weight must be afforded to the delivery of new housing.

"The site is considered to be in a sustainable location, with good access on foot and by public transport to services and facilities within Barlaston and is capable of accommodating residential development of the scale proposed without resulting in unacceptable harm in principle.

"It is not considered that the application site makes a strong contribution towards restricting the sprawl of large urban areas. It is concluded that the proposed development does comprise Grey Belt land and would also not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining Green Belt."

But committee members voted against the recommendation,. They refused permission on the grounds they considered the location to still be within the Green Belt.

Councillor Scott Spencer said: "I dispute the consideration this is Grey Belt. Encroachment into the countryside is quite important with this as I have looked at where the application site is in relation to its surroundings.

"To the north, by about 1km or less, you have got Stoke. Tittensor and Barlaston act as a break between Stoke and Stone.

"This application – and the wider ownership of land – could well fill in that gap between Tittensor and Barlaston, encroach on the countryside and potentially encourage Stoke and Stone to sprawl into one another. I think it is encroachment and I don't support this application."

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Councillor Roy James said: "This is Green Belt, it is not Grey Belt and no account should it be considered Grey Belt. If we allow this to go through we are opening floodgates for developers to use the same argument – we are opening a can of worms."

Councillor Alec Sandiford said: "It's blindingly obvious the area is Green Belt. I think it should be refused on harm to Green Belt."