Further views welcome despite end to consultation over massive 1,800 housing plan for Derbyshire village

Bolsover District Council is considering Waystone Ltd’s planning application for a 24 hectare, mixed development of employment land with approximately 1,800 residential dwellings and other community and commercial facilities entitled Clowne Garden Village.

Many residents from the nearby villages of Clowne and Barlborough have raised concerns at three public consultation events and with letters to the council about the plans to develop the site on greenfield land north of Clowne, including part of the village centre off Hickinwood Lane.

But despite the consultation period formally coming to a close, the council has stated that it is still willing to consider any further submitted letters before the matter goes before a planning committee for a decision.

Council Planning Manager Sarah Kay said: “We have said we have a duty of care to consider any letters before we take it to planning and I do not want people to feel they have missed the boat.”

Some residents have already raised concerns about the possible impact on highways, drainage, flooding, and existing services such as schools and healthcare, as well as the potential loss of countryside and the impact on wildlife.

Council Chief Executive Karen Hanson said: “The utmost priority is around communities and safe and happy places to live and I do not see that has changed. We will do everything we can in terms of planning responsibilities.”

Council Planning Policy Manager Chris McKinney explained the council has to meet housing and affordable housing targets because of growing demand and nationwide shortages and there is a strategy to expand Clowne but this particular site could involve a progressive 20-year long process.

Planning Manager Ms Kay said there will be a transport assessment to calculate the impact of the development on the surrounding highways network, key junctions and with traffic moving around Clowne.

She added: “It’s fair to say a development of this scale will have an effect on the highway network. The decision for us is whether that impact is acceptable and the highway network can still function and traffic can flow in a safe manner.

“We consult with the Highways Authority at Derbyshire County Council and they will consider the figures and they are the authority in the right place to advise us whether the traffic impact on the highways is acceptable with changes to junctions and traffic movements.”

Waystone will also have to look at the impact beyond its application boundary, according to Ms Kay, and the developer will have to mitigate any potential impacts.

Ms Kay added that if any concerns about drainage, flooding and a potential strain on existing services in the area are identified, Waystone will also have to consider how it can mitigate these issues with possible extra costs.

There has already been an acknowledgement that the nearest primary school is at full capacity so there will be a need for a new primary school if the planning application is approved, according to Ms Kay.

Residents have complained that the proposed site is also on greenfield land that had once included an area of Green Belt land but Planning Policy Manager Mr McKinney explained that following a robust review “exceptional circumstances” were cited allowing the removal of this area from Green Belt preservation.

Plannng Manager Ms Kay also explained that Derbyshire Wildlife Trust will be consulted and ecology surveys will be carried out with assessments of how the developers may mitigate any losses alongside any biodiversity gain that can be established from the development.

The residential, commercial and mixed-use plans have also included suggestions for a possible retirement village, a neighbourhood centre, a hotel, a restaurant, job creation, health and care provision and support for educational and recreational uses with a green infrastructure.

Both Waystone and the council have already been consulting with residents in Clowne and Barlborough as well as with a large number of organisations including National England, the Coal Authority, the Environment Agency, Highways England, Yorkshire Water, Derbyshire County Council and others.

Waystone has acknowledged opposition but has pointed out that others have been supportive and have welcomed the potential for economic growth, jobs and facilities.

Despite the council and developers’ aims to support the area, some protestors fear the planned homes would be unaffordable for locals and the community-feel could be lost as buyers may become “M1 commuters” with no links to the village.

Council Chief Executive Ms Hanson said: “We are committed to a local allocation and we have introduced local allocation in other developments and we like them to have a local connection. There is a political desire for a local connection with houses for local people.”

The council’s planning committee had originally resolved to approve the application in June 2018, but following delays with legal agreements and the Covid-19 pandemic reports needed to be updated and the application has again come under consideration.