Plans to build three homes on Green Belt land in Stoke-on-Trent have been blocked.

An application was submitted to Stoke-on-Trent City Council requesting 'permission in principle' for three bungalows on land off Brookhouse Lane in Bucknall.

The applicants claimed the land met the criteria for grey belt, due to it not making a strong contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt.

According to the planning statement, the relatively small size of the site, the fact that it is enclosed by existing buildings and the existence of mature vegetation along Causley Brook providing a natural defensible boundary means the proposed development 'will not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining Green Belt'.

The statement also noted that the city council is currently unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land, meaning there should be a presumption in favour of sustainable development.

But planning officers at the city council have refused the application under delegated powers, for two reasons.

They say the proposal is considered 'inappropriate development in the Green Belt' due to it not meeting the definition of infilling in villages.

The decision note also states that future residents' access to local services would be reliant on private car ownership due to the 'rural characteristics' of Brookhouse Lane and the surrounding area.

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