Fears over loss of green space if homes approved
FIELD DESCRIBED AS A BUFFER BETWEEN HOUSING SCHEMES
RESIDENTS have warned that new housing could destroy an important green buffer between hundreds of under-construction homes, if approved next week.
Two parish councils have heavily opposed plans for 30 homes to be built on land off Marion Avenue, Hucknall, which Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee has been advised to approve on Wednesday.
The site for the prospective Chevin Homes development, which would be wedged between Bellway Homes’ 255home Sherwood Gate estate and Barwood Homes’ recently-approved 131home estate, is currently a field.
The proposed development includes a range of two and three-bedroomed properties with dwellings being one and two stories in scale.
There would be six different house types, with a mix of detached, semidetached and terraced housing. Nine of the properties would be classed as “affordable”, of which three would be “first homes” and six would be “affordable rental” two and three-bedroomed properties.
A report submitted to Gedling Borough Council, which recommended committee members approve the project, outlined that Papplewick Parish Council and Linby Parish Council had raised concerns about the scheme.
The former objected on the basis it would remove the green buffer and “very important” space between different housing developments, according to council documents.
Papplewick Parish Council also raised concerns about road congestion and pressure on nearby green spaces.
Linby Parish Council explained it had concerns that a number of trees had been removed from the site and argued there was no need for further building.
A total of 37 local residents objected to the plans, expressing fears over the potential loss of green space and stating the new homes would further stretch services.
But with the area being allocated for housing in the adopted Local Planning Document, which sets out where new development should take place, Gedling Borough Council’s planning officer recommended councillors vote in favour.
“It is considered that the development would result in a scheme that would respect the character of the area and have inappropriate density of development,” the council officer said, adding “whilst there would be some harm to residential amenity, in the context that the site is allocated for residential development, the application is deemed to comply with [planning] policies.”
Nottinghamshire County Council has asked for £157,524 from the developers to spend on education in the Hucknall area, as part of the financial contributions required to improve infrastructure and services locally. The applicant will also have to pay £7,700 towards bus stop improvements on Ethel Avenue.
The NHS asked for a contribution of £16,256 towards the expansion of primary care provision to include The Om Surgery, Torkard Hill Medical Centre and Whyburn Medical Practice.
The developer will also be told £49,469 should be paid towards the construction of off-site play equipment and £20,891 for its future maintenance, as none has been planned on the application site. Whilst almost all of the housing would be inside within Gedling Borough Council’s borders, a small proportion of the application site falls within Ashfield District Council.
This includes the proposed access point from the Marion Avenue cul-desac. An application is pending determination at Ashfield District Council for the rest of the project.