Homes firm ready to finish off halted estate
CONSTRUCTION could restart at an unfinished and empty Nottinghamshire housing estate that has been frozen in time since its previous builder fell into administration.
Property developer Sherwood Oak Homes was constructing 313 homes off Clipstone Road East in the village of Clipstone, near Mansfield, when it went bust in October last year.
Work started on the first phase of the £100 million housing development, named The Oaks, in late 2021, but just 30 homes were completed before the firm collapsed two years later. Administrator Moorfields then instructed property consultants to sell the land and finished properties, which had lain empty for around six months - causing worries they would become havens for antisocial behaviour.
Now housebuilding firm Persimmon has submitted plans to complete the currently halted estate, proposing to change the remaining homes to its own designs so it can finish the stalled development. “We are currently working with the teams at Mansfield District Council to progress this application which is currently going through the relevant legal processes,” a spokesperson said.
“We have an interest in developing this land and will know more on the status of our application in the coming months.” The firm said restarting construction would prevent the site being “blighted by vandalism”, while also providing much-needed homes in the district.
Although Persimmon Homes confirmed it had an interest in developing the land, the company did not confirm if it had purchased the site. The accounts of failed developer Sherwood Oaks Homes showed the finished homes had been valued at £11.5m, with the rest of the site’s land valued at around £22m.
The area was due to receive a number of other benefits as part of Sherwood Oak Homes’ planning agreement with Mansfield District Council, including the planting of oak trees and improvements to local walking and cycling routes.