The withdrawal of Erewash Borough Council’s Core Strategy has triggered growing concern and resistance from parish councils, with warnings that Green Belt land could face development pressure in the absence of a clear borough-wide planning framework.
Following the council’s decision to withdraw the strategy after intervention from the Planning Inspector, West Hallam Parish Council has published a detailed public response challenging the way potential housing sites were identified and raising concerns about what happens next.
Parish council raises Green Belt concerns
In its statement, West Hallam Parish Council says that a number of potential development sites on Green Belt land were included in the now-withdrawn Core Strategy without what it describes as a defensible evidence base.
The council highlights two sites in the West Hallam area and warns that, despite the Core Strategy being withdrawn, developers are still able to submit planning applications for those locations.
It argues that allowing Green Belt sites to come forward before a full Green Belt Strategy has been produced and agreed would be inappropriate and risks undermining confidence in the planning process.
Calls for residents to lobby decision-makers
West Hallam Parish Council is urging residents who share its concerns to contact their MP and senior planning officers at Erewash Borough Council.
The parish council says community voices must be heard while the borough’s long-term planning framework is being reworked, particularly where Green Belt land is concerned.
While parish councils do not determine planning applications, their responses can influence debate and help shape how future proposals are viewed by decision-makers.
Wider implications across the borough
Although the statement focuses on West Hallam, the issues raised reflect a wider challenge facing Erewash following the withdrawal of its Core Strategy.
Without an up-to-date planning framework in place, decisions continue to be made using existing policies, often on a site-by-site basis. Critics argue this can increase uncertainty and fuel concern that development pressure may shift rather than be strategically managed.
For larger towns such as Ilkeston, this raises familiar questions about how housing growth is balanced with infrastructure, including roads, schools and health services.
Ilkeston has seen sustained development in recent years, with residents frequently raising concerns about traffic congestion, service capacity and whether infrastructure is keeping pace with new housing.
What happens next
Erewash Borough Council has not yet published a timetable for producing a replacement Core Strategy or a standalone Green Belt Strategy.
In the meantime, parish councils such as West Hallam are making clear they expect greater clarity and stronger safeguards before Green Belt sites are considered for development.
Ilkeston News will continue to follow how community challenges and planning policy changes shape future development across the borough.