Fear of homes plan ‘disaster’
COUNCILLORS’ WORRIES OVER IMPACT OF MORE TRAFFIC
A HOUSING estate proposed for an old school site in Eastwood has sparked concern over the impact on traffic – as one councillor warned of a “disaster”.
Up to 110 homes and 60 assisted living apartments could be built on land once occupied by Lynncroft Primary School, off Lynncroft and Walker Street.
Although the site has been allocated for new housing in Broxtowe Borough Council’s local plan, councillors are worried about the impact of traffic.
Councillor Milan Radulovic, leader of the borough council, explained that he was concerned about proposed access off the nearby street called Lynncroft, saying: “Lynncroft is a very narrow residential street.
“We think access should be off Nottingham Road, which is a much easier access and much more able to cope with the flow of traffic.”
He said: “The site needs a comprehensive redevelopment. This is a piecemeal application. It’s not been thought through. It seems to have been rushed through. Consequently there’s an awful lot of the site that remains undeveloped and unallocated.
“I’m trying not to be overly critical because it’s a housing site that has been allocated in the local plan.”
He added that the access taking traffic through Lynncroft would cause “numerous problems to people that live in the area and traffic flows in and around Eastwood”.
The plans have been submitted on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, the authority having been awarded £1m from the Government for new junctions in the area. The school was replaced by the nearby Lawrence View Primary School.
Councillor Radulovic, who said new housing in the area was “essential”, added: “It has been vacant for far too long.
“The county council have sat on it for 10 years, which is ludicrous.”
Eastwood Town Council leader Councillor David Bagshaw, who represents Eastwood St Mary’s for Labour on the borough council, said: “I just don’t think enough thought has been put into where all this traffic is going to go, once it gets off this little estate if you like.
“I’m not sure that they have taken into consideration the populace of Eastwood.
“I think there should have been some more consideration with the people of Eastwood.”
He added: “The roads and where they want to come out will just lead to a disaster. It’s not compatible with the size of the roads that people park on there. Some other advice should have been taken. We gave them an option of coming out of Wellington Place on to Nottingham Road – that would be the much better option.”
In response to the concerns, a county council spokesman said: “The county council believes that the proposed scheme provides an excellent proposal looking to meet housing demand, bringing forward a long-vacant site for sustainable development.
“The access junctions currently being built recently received planning consent with traffic issues having been carefully considered as part of that process.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Joshua Parker, who represents Eastwood Hall for the Conservatives on the borough council, spoke about housing he’d like to see.
“There’s a definite need for affordable homes to make it easier for the young people to buy their own homes.
“Affordable housing as well for lowerincome families and single occupancies.”
The county council spokesman added: “The site referred to is the old Lynncroft school which is vacant after the demolition of the old school.
“The council was awarded £1,000,000 in 2018 from the Government’s Land Release Fund to install new junctions and improve the overall viability of the site prior to marketing.
“The purpose of the fund is to bring forward housing development.
“The junction works are near completion.
“The planning applications are the next step in bringing housing development forward on the site.
“It would be intended that the council will market the site to housing developers with the benefit of the outline planning consent currently being sought later this year with potential for building to commence before the end of the year.”
It’s not been thought through. It seems to have been rushed through
Councillor Milan Radulovic