Plans for the next part of one of Europe's largest redevelopments which has transformed part of Nottingham could see the scheme become even bigger. The newest stage of the Trent Basin redevelopment would see more than 110 homes built on the north bank of the River Trent to the west of Trent Lane, if Nottingham City Council's planning committee follows a recommendation to approve the scheme on April 19.
The site, which spans 3.7 hectares of former industrial land, has been mostly cleared and levelled with the exception of two groups of industrial warehouse buildings off Poulton Drive and Daleside Road. Developer Blueprint Limited, which is partially owned by Nottingham City Council, previously submitted a hybrid application, which seeks full permission for 110 houses and outline permission for an unspecified further number of properties.
The new homes would add to the huge number of eco-friendly homes that have been built or are in the pipeline at Trent Basin and elsewhere in the 250-acre Waterside Redevelopment Zone, which is one of the largest development areas in Europe according to the developer. Nottingham City Council has previously stated it wants to transform the area into a new sustainable residential community over the next decade.
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As well as the potential for further residential development along the River Trent, the outline application proposes creating a café and Community Transport Hub building to the north of the site. A ‘pocket park’ and minor play space overlooked by housing to the north of the basin is also planned.
Consultees were generally positive about the plan, with Nottingham Civic Society stating it largely welcomed the project's layout and urban design. The conservation body added: "The focus of the design upon the residents rather than their cars is welcomed and has allowed for a very dense urban grain, tightly grouped around the communal spaces intended to engender community cohesion and support. It is to be hoped that these small courts are looked after and cherished in the manner envisaged by the designers."
Car parking for general residents is proposed within a ‘parking barn’ or deck car park structure that would be located to the west of the site with direct access off Poulton Drive. It is hoped the ‘parking barn’ format would provide the majority of parking and allow for greater community use of public spaces, according to planning documents.
Similar to Nottingham Civic Society's praise, Nottingham Design Review Panel said the plan's car free approach was bold and transformative. It did however express concern about the proposal's greenspace, which was echoed by the City Council's biodiversity officer, who concluded open space was "severely lacking".
The detailed proposals for the unspecified further residential development of the site will be submitted after the plan for the new River Trent pedestrian bridge is finalised. Residents of the existing and proposed developments off Trent Lane would be able to use the new bridge to access expansive areas of open space to the south of the river.
A potential position for an E-mobility hub has been also outlined in the plan, with this hoped to promote sustainable travel. Kilpin Way would connect Poulton Drive in the west with Trent Lane in the east, with a section of this road also linking to the new Waterside School.
A Nottingham City Council planning officer, advising councillors on the planning committee to approve the project, said: "The proposed development has a compact layout and is to a high density for primarily family housing. The proposed layout is a departure from a conventional housing layout, with a focus on the use of courtyard housing and where residents are expected to adopt remote car parking to enable the creation of a predominantly pedestrian and cycle environment
"The new sustainable community in Waterside is expected to make a significant contribution to meeting the city’s housing needs. The proposed development would continue the innovative formats of residential development that the applicant has created through the phases of development of Trent Basin that have been completed to date."
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