A Proposed Housing Scheme Plan For 59 Affordable Homes, Off Central Street, At Holmewood, Chesterfield. Courtesy Of Bolsover District Council.
Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
Derbyshire council planners have paved the way for a one-hundred percent affordable housing scheme due to be considered by a neighbouring authority after they granted conditional planning permission for a small area of the project which lies inside its own boundary.
Bolsover District Council’s planning committee voted by a majority at a meeting on June 10 to grant planning permission for a small part of Homes by Honey Ltd and Together Housing Synergy’s overall planning application for 59 properties, on land off Central Street, in Holmewood, Chesterfield, subject to NE Derbyshire District Council eventually granting planning permission for the substantive scheme.
Development manager Chris Whitmore, at Bolsover District Council, told the meeting: “We looked at the site from Central Street, the access points and considered the impact of the development on Bolsover District Council’s planning area and the environment.”
He added: “We recommend that we resolve to grant planning permission subject to NE Derbyshire District Council granting planning permission for the substantive part of the planning application.”
Mr Whitmore explained that following a consultation request from NE Derbyshire District Council to seek views, officers recommended that Bolsover District Council also raises no objections to the substantive part of the proposed development within North East’s planning area.
The housing scheme’s proposed 1.87hectare site falls mainly in NE Derbyshire District Council’s area with just a small area of a proposed access road off Central Street falling into Bolsover District Council’s patch but this was reported to its planning committee due to a number of concerns and with regards to countryside planning policy.
Bolsover District Council’s planning committee considered the likely public benefit of the scheme providing 100per cent affordable housing and what it regarded as negligible harm to its planning interests because there is only expected to be a very limited impact on a small area of its countryside.
The proposed housing scheme, between Tibshelf Road and Heath Road, includes plans for a total of 59 affordable homes – which tend to be priced below open market rates – while many other developers usually offer only a smaller percentage of affordable properties among the homes they set out to build.
Proposed access to the site, which lies on undeveloped and mainly greenfield land, would be from an extension to Central Street which will mean upgrading the existing track that leads to a former garage site, according to Bolsover District Council.
Its committee considered that any development from the scheme within the Bolsover district area will result in the removal of part of a grassed area between the track and adjacent woodland.
But the local authority confirmed the proposal will not result in the removal of any trees to the west but it will affect two small sections of the root protection area for the eastern edge of the wood.
Ault Hucknall Parish Council, which lies near to the site, has objected to the plans with concerns about erosion into a greenfield and woodland site and it is also supporting objections and concerns raised by Heath and Holmewood Parish Council and residents.
Representations have been received regarding concerns about the overall scheme from 31 contributors including a letter from the nearby Heath and Holmewood Parish Council.
These concerns include; The loss of countryside; The impact on schools, GPs and dentists; Over-development; Limited public transport provision; Increased traffic congestion; Road safety; Harm to wildlife and potential flooding.
However, Derbyshire County Council’s highways authority has stated the scheme would not pose an unacceptable impact on highway safety or a severe impact on congestion.
And the county council’s flood authority also raised no objections subject to a number of recommended conditions.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust stated that improvements should be considered to the overall scheme’s design to better reduce impacts and to mitigate any losses.
NE Derbyshire District Council’s Local Plan allows for affordable housing development in the countryside subject to certain criteria, according to Bolsover District Council, which also highlighted that there is evidence indicating a need for affordable housing within the North East district.
Bolsover District Council acknowledged that there is potential with the scheme for proposed affordable housing provision with both economic and social benefits.
It stated even though the scheme poses a minor conflict with its countryside protection policies if the wider proposal is considered to be sustainable and acceptable, the associated access in its planning area could be justified particularly where affordable housing delivery outweighs any costs.
Bolsover District Council’s planning committee approved planning permission for part of the development within its own planning area subject to NE Derbyshire District Council granting planning permission for the substantive housing scheme and the Bolsover planners also agreed not to offer any objections to the overall proposed scheme.
Should NE Derbyshire District Council eventually approve the substantive housing scheme, Bolsover District Council’s agreed planning approval will be subject to conditions including a Construction Environmental Management Plan, a management and maintenance plan for surface water drainage, a tree protection plan, fencing to protect woodland, and measures to avoid or reduce impacts upon wildlife.
Bolsover District Cllr Tom Munro told the meeting: “I am pleased to see we are putting in some sort of restriction or requirement that the vegetation is to be protected.”
The proposed housing scheme’s 59 affordable homes aim to include 46 semi-detached properties, three detached and ten terraced dwellings.
