Plans to build 106 homes on Green Belt land off Beech Lane in West Hallam have now been formally submitted to Erewash Borough Council.
Ilkeston News first reported on the emerging development earlier this year, when proposals for 107 homes were put out for public consultation. The scheme has since been reduced by one property and an application for full planning permission has now been lodged by Homes by Honey and Zafeen Limited.
The development would include homes ranging from one to five bedrooms, with 45% classed as affordable housing. Most would be two storeys high, although a small number of two-and-a-half-storey properties are also proposed. The wider plans include landscaping, open space, new trees and hedgerows, solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and pedestrian and cycle routes through the site.
The land lies on the southern side of Beech Lane, close to Scargill Church of England Primary School and West Hallam White Rose Cricket Club. Although it is currently part of the Green Belt, the applicant argues that it should be considered “grey belt” because it does not strongly contribute to the main purposes of the wider Green Belt.
That argument will be central to the application. The developer says the scheme meets the Government’s requirements for building on grey-belt land, including the provision of additional affordable housing. Erewash Borough Council will now have to decide whether it agrees.
Traffic is also expected to be a major consideration. The development would have one vehicle entrance on Beech Lane, with the applicant’s Transport Assessment estimating up to 90 two-way vehicle movements during the weekday morning peak and 75 during the evening peak. It concludes that the entrance would operate within capacity and that the additional traffic would not have a significant effect on the wider road network. Those findings will be assessed by Derbyshire County Council’s highways officers.
Traffic, congestion and the position of the entrance close to Scargill Primary School were among the most common concerns raised during the developer’s public consultation in February. A total of 61 written responses were received, many of them objections. Residents also raised concerns about pressure on schools, healthcare and other services, the loss of Green Belt land, drainage, wildlife and the effect of a development of this size on the character of West Hallam. One response supported the plans.
Some residents suggested reducing the number of homes to make room for a drop-off and collection car park for the primary school. The developer says the technical reports submitted with the application address the concerns raised, although its own consultation statement acknowledges that the plans attracted a notable level of objection.
Drainage measures include an attenuation basin at the southern end of the site to collect and control surface water. New planting and habitat creation are also proposed to achieve a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain.
The application will also be assessed for its effect on the nearby West Hallam Conservation Area. A report commissioned by the applicant identifies the potential for “less than substantial harm” to its setting, but argues that this should be balanced against the benefits of providing new homes.
West Hallam White Rose Cricket Club previously said it did not object to development in principle, but raised concerns about drainage, access, potential noise complaints and the effect on its activities. A separate assessment submitted with the plans concludes that the distance between the cricket square and the proposed homes would be sufficient without additional ball-stop fencing or netting.
Erewash Borough Council will now consider the plans, public representations and responses from organisations including Derbyshire County Council before reaching a decision.
The Planning Portal reference PP-14793302 on Erewash Borough Council’s public planning system.