Controversial multi-million pound North Derbyshire housing scheme moves a step closer

Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee approved the planning application for the housing development, at Duckmanton, which also includes a commercial zone and a community area following a meeting in August, last year, despite objections from concerned residents.

Housebuilder Honey has now announced this week that it aims to deliver the 275 new homes with a gross development value of £78m in Duckmanton as well as a new £50m, 174 home development at Upperthorpe Road, in Killamarsh.

Honey chief executive officer Mark Mitchell said: “Our proposed developments in Derbyshire will provide much needed new homes for people living in, or wanting to move to, Duckmanton, and Killamarsh.

“We have painstakingly designed a range of house types that combine style, substance and sustainability. This ensures our buyers, and the wider community in which we build, benefit from a high quality, high specification development.”

The 16.6 hectare Duckmanton site is on agricultural fields located to the west of the village of Duckmanton and north of the village of Long Duckmanton and it slopes away from Rectory Road to the west.

Sheffield-based Honey stated the Duckmanton development will be called Pearl and will deliver 275 new homes near Tom Lane on the outskirts of Duckmanton with a gross development value of £78m.

It added that, subject to planning agreements, Pearl will comprise a mix of two-, three, four and five-bedroom homes and will include terraces, semi-detached and detached properties.

Objecting residents had raised concerns with the council during the planning application process in August, 2023, concerning the Duckmanton scheme about feared over-development, the loss of greenfield land, the potential harm to wildlife, sewage capacity and flooding on Tom Lane and Rectory Road, with traffic safety and congestion fears along Tom Lane.

Many have also been concerned the Duckmanton development will bring an added strain to schools, facilities, and existing services including GP surgeries and dental practices.

Sutton-cum-Duckmanton Parish Council had also raised concerns about flooding, traffic safety, congestion, and the loss of greenfield land.

Concerned residents submitted 152 comments to the council and a further eight letters were read out at the planning meeting as campaigners held banners referring to “No resources at Ducky,” “Flooding on Tom Lane,” “discharge of raw sewage,” and “dangerous traffic junctions.”

Two campaigners also wrote to Chesterfield Borough Council with concerns that there had been a suggestion that the planning committee had faced pressure to approve the housing scheme between Duckmanton and Long Duckmanton.

But the council dismissed the claims stating the application had not been handled “inappropriately” and that any such “bullying” reference was believed to have been frustration with the constraints of the decision-making process.

Yorkshire Water indicated that an upgrade would be necessary for the sewer network at the Duckmanton site with suitable connection points, available capacity, and upgrading costs.

The council also stressed the development will need flood risk management after Derbyshire County Council records revealed 51 incidents of flooding on Tom Lane, in Duckmanton.

However, the council stated the development is acceptable in terms of potential drainage subject to consultations and conditions to be met by the developers, and it is in a sustainable location allocated for homes as part of the authority’s Local Plan with some affordable housing.

Council development manager Paul Staniforth has said that a development is one way in which the area’s flooding concerns can be mitigated and improved.

Derbyshire County Council’s Highways Authority stated the development will not generate a severe enough traffic impact to prevent it from being approved, and the Coal Authority stated solutions could be achieved despite former mining activities at the area.

Plans for the Duckmanton scheme will also include new bus stops on Tom Lane, improvements to Rectory Road bus stops, and junction improvements at the A632 junction. with a Travel Monitoring Plan, according to the council.

Tim Farley, representing the landowner applicants, has said there is a housing need and there will be improvements to deal with highways, drainage and flooding concerns along with new landscaping and a contribution towards education.

Conditions include a £247,500 contribution towards GP provision, a percentage of affordable housing, a £36,822 contribution towards the improvement of the A632 Staveley Road signalised junction with a five-year £5,550 Travel Plan monitoring fee, and there has been a request for funding to support GP practices.

A Honey spokesperson said plans for the Killamarsh housing scheme on an 11-acre site aim to be located on land that was acquired from a property and land regeneration company called the Harworth Group.

Subject to planning agreements, the Killamarsh development, which will be called Aurelle, will comprise a mixture of semi-detached and detached one, two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, according to Honey.

The developers stated that they intend to submit planning matters for both proposed developments for consideration to the relevant local authorities early this year which would be Chesterfield Borough Council for the Duckmanton scheme and NE Derbyshire District Council for the Killamarsh scheme.

Conditional approval has been given to the Duckmanton scheme following the signing of an agreement between Chesterfield Borough Council and the owners of land to the south of Tom Lane and west of Rectory Road.

The next stage in the planning process for the Duckmanton scheme will be an application for approval of all reserved matters and should the reserved matters application be granted, the development must start within two years of final consent.

Mr Mitchell added: “We are excited by the opportunity to make our vision for our developments a reality and we now look forward [to] our plans being considered by the relevant local authorities.”

Honey stated that its homes all include an electric vehicle charging points and its properties will accommodate the Future Homes Standard which requires all new homes built from 2025 onwards to produce 75-80 per cent less carbon emissions.

House builder Harron Homes North Midlands have stated that they are also preparing to submit a joint reserved matters planning application to NE Derbyshire District Council for 322 new homes in Killamarsh, in collaboration with Homes by Honey.

However, Honey has not yet been able to confirm whether the breakdown for the joint 322 home development scheme includes Honey’s 174 home scheme for Killamarsh or whether it is a separate matter.

A Harron Homes spokesperson confirmed that the 322 home scheme is part of a joint application with Honey but Harron’s understanding is that the exact ‘split’ on the number of homes they will be involved with has not yet been decided although it is believed it would be approximately half-and-half.

The 322 home scheme site has been earmarked in Killamarsh, next to Green Lane and Upperthorpe Road, and has been purchased from Harworth Estates and two other private landowners who previously secured outline planning permission for 397 new homes, according to Harron Homes.

Plans for the 322 home Killamarsh scheme include proposals to transform the former Westthorpe Colliery site into a Derbyshire development of 322 one to five-bedroom homes over 45 acres of land with 20per cent of land to be designated for affordable housing.

In addition, Harron Homes stated that financial contributions of around £750,000 will be expected to be made towards sports facilities, education and health care in the community in relation to the 322 home Killamarsh scheme.

Honey has been asked for further clarity on the breakdown of its respective involvement in the 322 home scheme for Killamarsh and whether it relates to and includes Honey’s announced 174 home Killamarsh scheme.