‘We don’t want to be a town’, say villagers worried by homes plan
CONCERN OVER SPRAWL 250 NEW HOUSES WILL BRING TO AREA WITH FEW FACILITIES
RESIDENTS in a Nottinghamshire village are worried about how big it will become as hundreds of homes are being planned there.
Plans for a £58 million development of 250 homes are set to be delivered by Avant Homes after they purchased 25-acres of land on Shilo Way in Awsworth. The development will offer a mixture of two-, three-, four- and fivebedroom properties across 15 house designs. Properties will range from a two-bedroom mid-terrace house to a five-bedroom detached property.
The homes will have a secondary access from Newtons Lane, Awsworth. Homeowners in the village shared concerns over the lack of space in schools, traffic and facilities that can accommodate the new residents.
Nicola Clarke said she is most concerned about losing the “village vibe” in the area. The 51-year-old said: “We haven’t really got any facilities, no doctors, you have to travel to Ilkeston or other places. All in all it’s a nice place to live – Newton Lane, it’s beautiful. I’m not looking forward to it.”
She added: “I don’t think the school will cope. If the homes have two children surely they need to build a school. I just think if they build all the houses they need to build something with it. I don’t want it to be a town. I like the village vibe.”
Twenty percent of the 250 homes will be designated as affordable housing. Subject to planning approval, construction will begin in November, with the first homes set to go up for sale in early 2023.
John Hardy, 67, who is retired, told the Post that despite the concern for facilities he understands that homes are needed. Mr Hardy, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said: “I know the houses have got to go up – you have got to have so many houses and meet the targets. If it happens it happens. If they decide, so be it. If you have more houses you get more shops. The school, I don’t know if they can cope with it. The bus service is a bit poor but if people don’t use it it’s going to be.” He added: “It’s a nice area, we are happy enough.”
Another resident, Lesley Smith, has lived in Awsworth for 27 years. She said there are many concerns in the area, such as traffic on Newton Lane.
The 52-year-old said: “This was a main road, it was really, really busy. When they had the bypass they closed it off. [Traffic] is a big concern. Where are all the children going? Is there going to be another school or is the other one going to be made bigger?
Lesley added: “These 250 new houses - what kind of people are going to move in? This road here is a nice area. Another thing is will they have an effect on the prices of our houses, will it make it go down and devalue?
“The buses aren’t very good. The village is lovely, I’ve been here for quite a few years. Basically it’s a lovely village.”
Councillor Michael Smith, vice chair of Awsworth Parish Council, said the plans have “long been anticipated”. He added: “We now know Avant Homes are the single preferred developer. The layout of the site is not a surprise to me.
“There’s no easy way to integrate 250 new homes with the existing village, in particular the housing estate which is on the edge of the site. It is difficult and we have our own issues with access.
“At the moment we don’t have a set response date to the plans but we will be looking to reply as a parish council. Broxtowe Borough Council are the planning authority and will make the decision, but we will make our comments in due course.”
Broxtowe Borough Council will make a decision on the plans at a future planning committee.