Public views sought on scheme creating 84,000 jobs
A CONSULTATION is under way over plans to regenerate a huge piece of land on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
The proposed closure of Chetwynd Barracks in 2024 and the start of works at Toton East Midlands Hub for the HS2 eastern section has prompted planners to seek public opinion ahead of a formal public consultation into the plans next year.
They include carbon neutral homes, green spaces, new schools, healthcare facilities and cycle paths covering an area taking in parts of Toton, Chilwell, Stapleford, Sandiacre and Long Eaton.
The proposals are also part of a longer-term vision for that part of the East Midlands which could also see redevelopment of and around Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station and East Midlands Airport, with the ultimate aim of creating 84,000 jobs and adding £4.8 billion to the value of the regional economy.
Nottinghamshire County Council leader, Coun Kay Cutts, chairs the Toton Delivery Board and HS2 executive board.
She said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity to create a bright future for decades to come.
“The region has really come together behind these bold and ambitious proposals for Toton and Chetwynd.
“A proposed new green village will create local jobs, new carbon neutral, affordable homes, and new community facilities including a new school.
“There will also be green spaces and more roads, paths and cycleways, including more trafficfree links to places for the family to enjoy such as the Attenborough Nature Reserve, Erewash Canal and the River Erewash.
“The Toton interchange is a catalyst for our wider infrastructure plans to make it much easier for people in all of our communities to move around and this matters to our towns and villages as much as our cities.”
Residents in and around the area are being invited to view the plans online and comment before Sunday, November 22.
Leaflets will be sent to over 80,000 residents over the next few weeks asking for their views.
People can also view the plans and leave their views in a ‘virtual’ display room at https://virtualengage.arup.com/toton-masterplan/
Coun Milan Radulovic, Leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, said: “The pandemic has made us all look at how resilient and connected the East Midlands is to the rest of the UK.
“We have a lot to offer this coun
try and we think it’s about time our transport links and connections were evolved into something ready for the future.
“The jobs, the business opportunities and the economic boost this new link will offer, is an exciting prospect and something to look forward to in 2021 and beyond.“
Broxtowe Councillor Tim Hallam said: “The masterplan to support the development of the Toton hub has initial benefits but also some very long-term value for our region too.
“Job opportunities aren’t limited to the construction phase, this new transport link opens up the East Midlands, so that businesses can extend and flourish.”