Planners are due to consider a major developer’s updated, financial contribution plans worth millions of pounds to support neighbourhood infrastructure to finally endorse the go-ahead for the controversial Clowne Garden Village housing scheme for 1,800 homes.
Bolsover District Council’s planning committee approved Waystone Ltd’s outline planning application at a meeting in September, last year, subject to financial infrastructure contributions for the scheme’s plans for 1,800 new homes with 24 hectares of greenfield land for employment, community and commercial development near Clowne and Barlborough.
Many hundreds of residents and campaigners raised objections to the scheme, north of Clowne, amid fears it will lead to overcrowding, place a strain on highways, health services and education, create drainage and flooding problems and affect the countryside and wildlife with the loss of some Green Belt land.
But after the Secretary of State decided in February not to call in the application for further consideration and to leave its determination with the district council, officers have now recommended that details concerning the developer’s financial contributions towards the infrastructure be approved allowing for any minor amendments to finally confirm the granting of overall planning permission.
A council spokesperson stated: “The Secretary of State is aware of the decision to be taken by the Local Planning Authority as a result of the call in process. After the planning committee resolution, the Secretary of State decided not to call the application in under Article 31 in a decision dated February 11, 2025. She was content that the application should be determined by the local planning authority.”
The scheme at a site which includes part of Clowne village centre off Hickinwood Lane, also features plans for green infrastructure, educational and recreational uses, a retirement village, a neighbourhood centre, a hotel, restaurant, health and care provision, leisure uses, and demolition work at Station Road Industrial Estate.
But the plans have been subject to an agreement over Section 106 obligations on the part of the developer to provide millions of pounds worth of financial contributions towards infrastructure.
These proposed contributions include: The delivery of a new primary school by the applicant or a full contribution of £9,500,000 to Derbyshire Council’s education authority for the delivery of a new primary school, and also a Secondary School Contribution of £8,258,879; A new Treble Bob roundabout scheme; An M1 Junction 30 scheme and a travel plan; And that ten per cent of the new properties will be affordable housing.
Other contributions include a £1,800,000 contribution towards the NHS Integrated Care Board to improve health care facilities, £1,463,597 towards helping young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and a payment of £126,840 towards local library stocks and capacity.
A council spokesperson added: “It is envisaged that agreement will have been reached between the parties on a final draft towards the end of May 2025.
“Following agreement to the content there will be a short delay distributing the final agreement to all signatories for engrossment. Following resolution of the above matters and engrossment of the agreement, it is recommended that the local planning authority proceeds to issue the decision.”
The council also noted that changes to the National Planning Policy Framework in December that concern decision making or development management are not considered to materially impact on the decision of the planning committee from September, 2024.
In addition, if an agreed position is reached on the S106 obligations by around May, 2025, the council’s viability expert has advised that findings in a previous assessment can be relied upon and the viability can be further reviewed in the future.
Council officers have recommended that the council’s planning committee approve the provisions in the S106 agreement and that authority be given to the Assistant Director of Planning or the Development Management and Land Charges Manager to make any minor amendments.
It has ultimately been recommended that following completion of the S106 legal agreement the planning committee approves a decision to inform the public and Secretary of State that planning permission has been granted.
Committee members have also been urged to note that changes to the NPPF and validity of the viability appraisal work do not materially impact on the resolution to grant planning permission.
The planning committee is due to consider the updated report at a meeting on May 14 following the approval of Waystone’s planning application for the Clowne Garden Village scheme on land north of Clowne, near Hickinwood Lane.
During the planning process, a consultation attracted at least 1,400 comments and the Clowne Garden Village Action Group’s membership grew to over 2,000 people sharing opposition to the scheme and its online and paper petitions attracted over 6,000 signatures from residents in Clowne and Barlborough opposed to the plans.
But Derbyshire County Council’s highways authority and Highways England raised no objections to the scheme, and the county council’s flood team, the Environment Agency, the Coal Authority, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire Water also raised no objections.
Waystone has claimed there is support for the scheme in terms of the potential for economic growth, facilities and jobs and it will also support the need for housing and bring highway improvements.
