140-home and industry units estate is proposed

FIFTH OF PROPERTIES TO BE LOWER-COST

AN estate of 140 homes and an area of industrial units bigger than four football pitches could be built in Burbage.

Plans have been filed to develop a site between the A5 and the Sketchley Grange Hotel, extending the Sketchley Meadows Business Park and creating a range of mostly twostorey houses.

The housing complex would be accessed from a new junction off Sketchley Lane, while the commercial project would be accessed via Watling Drive, which is a short drive from the A5.

Affordable housing would make up 20 per cent of the homes, with 32 per cent to be medium and larger family units, 64 per cent to be smaller and medium-sized units, and 4 per cent to be multi-person housing and flats.

A community park with multifunctional spaces and picnic bench seating would be provided among the residences.

Parking would be on plots where possible in the estate of homes while the business park would have separate car parks allocated to the commercial plots.

The business properties are designed to be of a scale so they could be used by a wide spectrum of companies.

A design statement filed by Barwood Development Securities said they would “provide maximum flexibility for changes of use and adaptability for new owners”.

It also said: “The site is highly sustainable and exceptionally well located to offer access to existing jobs, services and facilities – including health, education, shops, leisure and open space.

“Connectivity on to the A5 via Sketchley Meadows Business Park presents a great opportunity to extend the strategic employment area.

“The development would be an attractive place to live and work, integrated sensitively into the new south-western edge of the town.

“Set within a generous and attractive network of landscaped open spaces, the design retains the existing green infrastructure wherever possible, and builds upon this with new hedgerow, tree and woodland planting.”