Plan for 1,000 homes runs into strong opposition
BUT GOVT BODY SEEMS TO HAVE WITHDRAWN ITS OBJECTION
THE final proposal to build more than 1,000 homes near Burton is facing a raft concerns over the number of affordable homes that will be built and infrastructure.
The fine details of Drakelow Park are due to be decided at a special planning meeting tonight after there were objections from the Environment Agency, as well as concerns over affordable housing supply and roads connected with the development.
However, it is understood that the objection made by the Environment Agency has since been withdrawn following ongoing conversations with the applicant. But other concerns still remain.
Countryside Properties has permission to build 1,042 homes at Drakelow Park, which will eventually consist of 2,500 homes, along with the much-needed Walton bypass. The firm now has submitted further information, such as access, layout, scale, appearance and landscaping, to enable its development to go ahead.
However, due to concerns from consultees, a special meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee is to be held today to determine the outcome. A total of 38 per cent of the homes will be affordable.
The benefits of the proposed scheme include 410 full-time construction jobs and 487 full-time jobs in the supply chain; £165 million “construction value”; an additional £7.5m spend per year by new residents in nearby shops and on services; and £1.8m additional council tax revenue, a report to the committee reveals.
Countryside Properties say it also working with NHS leaders over the possibility of providing a new healthcare facility.
A new report has revealed that in the near future, a train station for Drakelow will be in full operation and a bus route will connect the eastern and western development areas and Burton town centre.
However, the latest application has yielded concerns from the council’s strategic housing officer, who said in the report: “The proposals submitted in regard to the location, tenure mix, property type, size and design of the affordable homes is unacceptable.
“The site is not proposed as 100 per cent affordable and would set an unhealthy and intolerable precedent for future phases and other schemes within the district.”
The officer also said the proposal was “devoid” of any properties with level access shower facilities, adding there are no bungalows proposed, which they said failed to address the needs of the district’s ageing or disabled populations.
The Environment Agency also previously objected, saying it does not believe it was consulted on the submitted masterplan.
In the report, the council’s planning officers said: “They [Countryside Properties] comment that they are not obligated to provide any affordable or private rented tenures and it is a very challenging brownfield site with significant infrastructure requirements and it is essential that the affordable and private rented provision forms part of the scheme and is delivered early to enable the delivery of the bypass in line with the current trigger point.
“The partnerships model is funded by payments based on valuations or work completed on the rental plots each month. This provides an income that reduces the financing levels and provides certainty of regular income, used to finance the ongoing development costs. The partnerships model also increases supply rate. They comment that they have tried to spread the affordable plots across the development area as much as possible to strike a balance between clustering and viability as much as possible.”
In conclusion, the officers added: “It is considered that while some matters that have been raised with the applicants are very difficult to address on viability grounds, the clusters of affordable homes in particular, there are other matters where further discussion could result in improvement to the scheme, including the dialogue with the EA.
“The scheme will bring very significant benefits through the provision of a key piece of infrastructure in the area in the form of the Walton on Trent Bypass.
“It will also provide jobs during the construction phase and within the wider development in the local centre, schools and employment offering. The supply of 1,042 new homes, a not insignificant amount of which will be affordable, will also be of significant benefit to the council’s five year housing land supply and to local residents.”
A spokesperson for Countryside commented: “We welcome the valuable feedback of all involved in the planning process for our proposed development at Drakelow Park.
“As such we have been engaging closely with the Environment Agency, South Derbyshire District Council and consultees to understand the concerns outlined in the Planning Report and have worked with them to make a variety of amends to our development proposal.
“Responding to their feedback, we have redistributed affordable housing, amended the development design in respect to the watercourse and improved accessibility for 15 properties, including the provision of wheelchair access. We have also made a number of enhancements to the development’s layout, including increased cycle and pathways, enhanced landscaping and open space.
“Furthermore, we have made a commitment to the provision of bungalow accommodation in subsequent development phases.”