More than 100 homes are set to be built next to a Nottingham school despite fears over increased traffic and accidents. A 130-home development will be built on playing fields next to Westbury School on St Martins Road, Bilborough if Nottingham City Council's planning committee follows a recommendation to approve the scheme on April 19.
The site is currently owned by the City Council, pending sale to applicant Strata, and was allocated for housing development in 2020. The development would be made up of a mixture of terrace, semi-detached and detached properties with 26 properties being classed as affordable housing.
Seven objections were received from neighbours, raising the concerns over the potential for increased traffic and accidents, the loss of wildlife, and that new houses would strain local services. Nottingham Open Access Forum, which was consulted during the planning process, said it accepted the site was designated for development but highlighted its fears over the proposed removal of vegetation, biodiversity net gain provision, and the removal of trees.
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Nottingham Civic Society welcomed the landscaped buffer zone which would separate the proposed development from the three listed buildings which "represent the original core of the village of Bilborough", these being St Martin's Church (Grade II*) Bilborough Old Rectory (Grade II) and St Martin's Cottages (Grade II). It added homes facing open space should discourage misuse and anti-social behaviour, but also that streets appeared to be "overly dominated by frontage parking leaving little opportunity for planting to soften their appearance".
Pedestrian access can be achieved via Yatesbury Crescent and St Martin’s Road and there are a number of unrecorded public rights of way across the site. The site currently does not have vehicular access, but four residential properties on Chingford Road were previously demolished to make space for a new entrance.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust requested a contribution of £145,853 to provide additional health care services to meet patient demand. In draft planning obligations set out by Nottingham City Council the authority requested a financial contribution of £390,427 towards secondary school provision and £63,885 towards employment and training.
A Nottingham City Council planning officer, advising councillors to approve the project, said: "The proposed residential layout has been designed to ensure a good standard of outlook for future occupiers and separation distances between properties are adequate. The layout would ensure that there is no significant degree of overlooking or the loss of light for the future occupants
"It is considered that a sufficient number of parking spaces is being provided throughout the layout, with visitor carparking spaces additionally being available. Overall, it is considered that the level of traffic generated by the proposals can be accommodated and would have no material impact on the safe operation of the local highway, nor would it significantly add to any congestion at the peak times on the local network."
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