More than 200 homes are set to be built in a Nottinghamshire area which has "very low" housing levels. A new 235-home estate will be built off Cauldwell Road, on the border of Sutton-in-Ashfield and Mansfield, if councillors on Ashfield District Council's planning committee follow a recommendation to approve the plans on March 22.
Nottinghamshire County Council has put forward the outline planning permission for the residential development, with it to be progressed at a later date with the input of a housing developer. The proposed new development is located close to the southern edge of the residential development at Berry Hill, Mansfield, which will provide 1,700 homes when finished.
Architects working on behalf of the county council have said proposed housing would "directly and positively connect with these areas". A planning committee report concluded the level of development was "considered appropriate for the size of site", but some concerns and drawbacks of the proposals were highlighted by planning officers and other consultees.
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A planning officer noted the plans would be classed as "inappropriate development in the countryside" and was not an allocated housing site. However, the officer also took into account the "very low levels of housing provision over the next five years", which meant there were "substantial benefits" to the proposed new housing.
It was also outlined that the new estate would have a detrimental impact on users of the public footpath which runs through the site. However, the need to boost housing supply was given greater weight than this issue, with a planning officer explaining that a reserved matters application could secure a different route for pedestrians through the site.
Ashfield District Council's waste manager, who was also a consultee during the planning process, raised concerns that dead ends on the estate could cause crashes and mean bin lorries would have to reverse unnecessarily. Nottinghamshire County Council's highways team also had some safety worries, stating that reducing the speed limit on the eastern side of Cauldwell Road from 60mph to 30mph should be considered.
An Ashfield District Council planning officer advised committee members to greenlight the outline application, subject to planning obligations. They requested £127,340.63 in financial contributions for healthcare, £83,728.00 for Special Educational Needs provision, bus stop improvements to Cauldwell Lane, and a £14,356.03 contribution to a new recycling facility in Mansfield.
The draft agreement also outlines requests for funding towards nearby junction improvements at a figure of £1,498 per property and a £1,000 per dwelling obligation towards off-site open space/recreational facilities within Ashfield at a figure of £1,000 per property.
A planning officer, writing in a report to Ashfield District Council's planning committee, said: "There would be a loss of countryside, and the proposal would be contrary to policies [restricting development in the countryside]. Nevertheless, the proposal of the principle of an additional provision of up to 235 dwellings in a sustainable location on the edge of Mansfield would bring substantial benefits and help boost the supply of houses in accordance with the requirements of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework).
"It is therefore concluded that none of the reasons put forward for opposing the development establishes that the harm would be significant or would demonstrably outweigh the benefits. Therefore, having reviewed all the submitted information, and assessing this against all relevant policies and material planning considerations, within the planning balance, it is considered that outline planning permission should be granted, subject to conditions and a Section 106 legal agreement."
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