Not everyone is happy about talk the tram network could be extended to serve two huge new Nottinghamshire housing developments - one of which took a big step forward this week and is set to be made up of new homes, a new primary school and a council office. There are plans for more than 800 homes off Hucknall Bypass along with a potential tram extension.
A developer has been chosen for the Top Wighay Farm development off Annesley Road near Hucknall. In the future there's potential for a tram stop at the site and the network to be extended to the nearby Whyburn Farm development.
The separate development, to the north-west of Hucknall town centre and east of the M1, has been allocated in Ashfield District Council's local development plan for 3,000 extra houses to be built elsewhere on Hucknall’s greenbelt. Local residents have been talking about the potential tram extension - and they said they were worried about the loss of green space.
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In particular, the loss of greenbelt land at the Whyburn site is a particular concern. Local resident Tanya Tokavski told Nottinghamshire Live that she has an issue with building on the green space.
She said: “We have a problem with them building on the green space. The infrastructure and the roads - the roads can’t take it. It's already terrible.
"It can't sustain anymore at rush hour. We have to keep the environment for the young. I don’t know if the tram stop is quite suitable. It’s in Hucknall and people can drive to it. I don’t know what it can add. There’s too much environment being paved over."
However resident Andrew Gray, 40, had a contrasting opinion and thought the idea of the homes and tram extension is good. Mr Gray said: “I think it’s a great idea. I appreciate the greenbelt but people need homes. I hope they’re affordable housing.
“As for the extension of the tramlines - which way will it go? The trams end at the edge of the town so will it have to go through houses. The building of more houses and adding infrastructure can only be a positive.”
Proposals for the development also include a "local centre", which could bring forward a GP practice. Residents previously told Nottinghamshire Live they had worry about the facilities in the area.
Another resident who wished to be anonymous says that the tram stop is an accessory to the housing development. He said: “It was understood that this was green belt land. Now it's going to be lost forever. Without forgetting pollution and extra traffic - the local facilities can’t cope now. It’s going to be chaos.
“The tram stop itself is a minor issue. The tram stop is irrelevant, it would have come anyway. The tram stop atop is an accessory to the fact of the whole scheme. Whilst they have always been rumours - no-one thought it would be to such an extent.”
Matt Neale, service director for growth and investment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: There is land allocated on here for the tram to potentially link up to Whyburn Farm. So there could be a tram stop on this site. There is a significant contribution to bus services as part of a section 106, so there will be a bus route through the site. It is the biggest deal in terms of value the county council has ever done."
In relation to the Whyburn Farm site, in January local councillors and campaigners called for this plan to be scrapped. The pause in the controversial Local Area Plan was cited by the developers of the newly planned estate as the reason to file a planning application that would give 'certainty' to the area.
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