Neighbours have expressed their sadness after a large development planned nearby took a big step forward. Avant Homes recently bought 24-acres of land off Hawksley Gardens in Clifton to create a vast £77.5m, 265 home estate, which is expected to create hundreds of new jobs.
People living in the Hawksley Gardens cul-de-sac, who had opposed the plans for years, said that they were saddened by the development moving forward. Nathan Giles, 42, who works for a bank, said: "It is mostly the issue of extra traffic coming into the cul-de-sac to get there. I don't think it will be safe to have all those cars accessing the new estate through here.
"It is just a bit sad that it has come to this, we will try to do what we can. The woodland behind it is ancient and you're got wildlife there as well that will all be gone. When you think of the disruption as well through here with all the building it will be awful. It was inevitable though, it was obviously going to be sold off and built on."
Read more: Huge step forward for big new neighbourhood on the edge of Clifton
Nikki Paterson, 43, who has lived on cul-de-sac for over ten years, said: "Getting into Barton Green is already a nightmare, it can take two or three times to get off. I don't think that it is the actual development that is so awful, it is the access that would be a problem.
"We want to be heard, there are other viable alternatives that wouldn't impact the quality of life of people living here. There are also concerns around parking, and wildlife as well."
The new estate, to the east of the Crusader Island, off the A453 Remembrance Way, is expected to be made up of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom houses. Groundworks could start this summer with the project likely to take six years to finish, and is set to create more than 820 jobs according to the developer.
Another Hawksley Gardens resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "It is just really sad. We bought this as a forever home, and so did a lot of other people with children living here.
"My children have grown up here. And now we're worrying about the impact of pollution and the extra traffic on them. The woodland that was there was a real sanctuary during Covid for a lot of people. That will be gone and then we will have all these cars coming through here."
When the purchase of the site was confirmed, Avant Homes East Midland's managing director, Tim Brickley, said: “Acquiring this parcel of land in Clifton is a testament to our ambitious growth plans to extend our presence in key locations in Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands region. This acquisition is a testament to our commitment to the delivery of much-needed, high-quality homes in Nottinghamshire and we now await the planning decision to move this development forward.”
The area of land proposed for development is sandwiched between Grade I-listed Clifton Hall, in Clifton Village, and an ancient woodland known as Clifton Wood which is also Grade II listed. Up to 20 per cent of the new development will form "affordable housing".
The site had been owned by Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Trent University. Outline permission was granted in December 2018 despite widespread objection from residents as well as wildlife organisations, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust. Outline permission meant the development can go-ahead in principle but that a further reserved matters planning application must be submitted, typically to do with the appearance and access arrangements for the development. Two years ago, the city council said it was looking for agents to market the site, prior to the sale of the land.
