Chesterfield housing scheme gets go-ahead from Chesterfield Borough Council at historic former club and bowling green site

Chesterfield council planners have finally put to bed any prospect of a historic Chesterfield working men’s club and an adjacent bowling green ever being revived after they have given the go-ahead for a new housing scheme on the derelict site.
The borough council’s planning committee during a meeting on January 13 approved Moorbridge Developments’ and Nottingham Community House’s planning application for 22 houses and flats at the former Old Whittington MIners’ Welfare Club and bowling green, on Station Lane.
A Chesterfield Borough Council spokesperson stated: “The likelihood of an alternative community facility being viable on the site is considered unlikely and not sufficient reason to justify opposing residential redevelopment of the site.”
The club called last orders on June 5, 2022, after 88 years and since then the building has been demolished and the adjacent run-down bowling green has become more overgrown after its revival and maintenance was no longer viable without the club.
There has been sufficient capacity at two nearby clubs for the displaced former bowling club members, according to the council, and there are 17 bowls clubs and 18 greens within a 15 minute drive of the site.
However, the council’s communities team acknowledged the area remains ‘very asset poor’ after the former club had been the only community facility in the area for hiring for community events, parties, sporting functions and activities.
Some residents also raised concerns about the prospect of increased traffic with the new housing scheme and the impact of increased parking on Station Lane and its suitability for the development with the loss of green space and a community facility.
But Derbyshire County Council’s highways authority concluded there would not be an unacceptable impact on highway safety or a severe impact on congestion and there are no justifiable grounds on which it could object to the scheme.
A council spokesperson added: “There are no statutory objections in terms of highway, climate, flooding, drainage and biodiversity which would restrict the approval of the development.”
However, Cllr Barry Bingham, who oversees the Whittington ward, told the meeting he was concerned about the vulnerability of a proposed path running through the site onto Hill Top recreation field in terms of possible anti-social behaviour especially after Derbyshire Constabulary had suggested the path would not be advisable.
But a council officer told the meeting the path would be ‘enhanced’ by the development because it will be overlooked by the new homes and agent Jonathan Bradbury, representing the applicant, said the path would be subject to ‘full visibility’.
Mr Bradbury described the scheme as an ‘all affordable housing scheme’ to be managed by a housing association and the scheme will make use of a site that has not been in use for a long time.
The scheme’s two-storey high properties will include 13 two-bedroom homes, five three-bedroom homes, and four one-bedroom flats making up four short terraces of three units, three pairs of semi-detached houses and a block containing the one-bedroom flats.
Planning committee councillors voted unanimously in favour of Moorbridge Developments’ and Nottingham Community House’s planning application for 22 houses and flats subject to conditions and an agreement to secure affordable housing and a financial contribution to enhance public open space.