Concerned campaigners and residents are being given the opportunity by Bolsover District Council to address a crucial planning meeting to help decide upon controversial plans to build 1,800 homes near two Derbyshire villages.
Waystone Ltd’s planning application for its Clowne Garden Village scheme, near Clowne and Barlborough, for 1,800 dwellings with 24 hectares of greenfield land for employment, community and commercial development is due to be considered by the council’s planning committee at a meeting on September 17.
Hundreds of Clowne Garden Village Action Group campaigners and residents have objected to the scheme at a proposed site, 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 potential loss of Green Belt land.
A council spokesperson said: “Anyone who has made a representation about the planning application who wishes to publicly address the planning committee meeting can do so.”
Concerned resident and action group campaigner Dee Dell fears the planned houses will be unaffordable for local residents and buyers and the estate would just be a dormitory for M1 commuters placing a huge strain on services like schools and GPs.
The action group’s membership has grown to over 2,000 and its online and paper petitions have over 6,000 signatures from residents in Clowne and Barlborough and about 1,400 public comments have been submitted to the council.
Bolsover MP Natalie Fleet says she strongly believes many residents have ‘legitimate concerns’ about the scheme and after speaking to residents she has conveyed what she described as ‘clear and overwhelming opposition’ to the proposals to the council.
Prior to the General Election, four Parliamentary candidates for Bolsover, including former Conservative Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher, voiced strong opposition to the scheme during a protest group meeting with concerns about its scale, the loss of Green Belt, increased traffic, insufficient infrastructure and its lack of affordable housing.
Campaigners have also raised fears proposed improvements at the busy A616 and A619 Treble Bob Roundabout between Barlborough and Clowne may not be enough to cope with thousands of new vehicles if the scheme and a nearby Creswell Growth Plan get the go-ahead.
The council and the developers were also in dispute in May after the applicant claimed it could only spare nearly £10m for infrastructure costs despite the council’s belief the scheme is viable to meet a £29m target.
Government agency Active Travel England has also objected to the scheme, at the proposed site which includes part of Clowne village centre off Hickinwood Lane after arguing that it fails to meet the need to provide sufficient infrastructure for walking and cycling.
The council’s Chief Executive Karen Hanson has said the council’s priority is communities and safe and happy places and it has been doing everything it can in terms of its planning responsibilities.
Council Planning Manager Sarah Kay has explained there has been a thorough transport assessment and that Waystone has had to look at the impact beyond the site and the developer will have to mitigate any potential impacts.
Ms Kay added Waystone will also have to consider how it can mitigate any identified issues with possible extra costs if any concerns about drainage, flooding and a potential strain on existing services are identified.
Council Planning Policy Manager Chris McKinney has also explained the council has to meet housing and affordable housing targets and there is a strategy to expand Clowne but this particular site could involve a progressive 20-year long process.
He added that following a review “exceptional circumstances” were cited allowing the removal of part of the proposed site from Green Belt preservation.
The council has insisted that the proposed development has always been part of its Local Plan since 2016.
It added that its planning committee had originally resolved to approve the application in June 2018 but the council stated that following delays with legal agreements and because of the Covid-19 pandemic reports needed to be updated.
Bolsover District Council has stated that Clowne Garden Village properly featured as a strategic site allocation in the Local Plan for Bolsover district which was adopted in March, 2020.
The planning committee meeting is due to start 9.30am, on Tuesday, September 17, in the Council Chamber, at The Arc, on High Street, in Clowne, with additional space in Committee Room 1.
Those who have made representations about the planning application and wish to address the committee meeting can register to speak by visiting the website link: https://selfservice.bolsover.gov.uk/service/Request_to_Speak_at_Planning_Committee for details.
The council has also urged potential speakers to consider a further link on the code of conduct: https://committees.bolsover.gov.uk/documents/s4847/Code%20of%20Conduct%20-%20Public%20Speaking.pdf for information.
It stressed that requests to speak must be submitted and confirmed with the Governance team no later than 11.59am, on Monday, September 16.
Places within the Council Chamber and Committee Room 1 will be reserved for those who have registered and been confirmed to speak, and the council says it cannot guarantee there will be space for everyone to watch the meeting in person so it will be live streamed for observers.
The live stream link will be posted on the council’s website and it will be linked via the published agenda and on an updated document posted on the planning public access pages in advance of the meeting.
