A Nottinghamshire council has U-turned on a plan that could have seen hundreds of homes being built on green belt land after hundreds signed a petition against it. As part of work to meet a Government target to build 300,000 new homes every year, Gedling Borough Council had proposed to build 360 additional homes on the Teal Close site in the village of Stoke Bardolph.
The move drew significant opposition and after the matter was discussed at a meeting of the council's cabinet on Thursday (December 8), senior members have now confirmed that additional homes will not be built on this particular section of land. The proposal had been made as part of the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan, setting out potential future developments in Broxtowe, Gedling, Nottingham and Rushcliffe up until 2038.
But following Thursday's cabinet meeting, the decision change was confirmed by John Clarke, the council's leader, Michael Payne, the deputy leader, and Jenny Hollingsworth, the cabinet member for growth and regeneration. In a statement, the three councillors said: "We've listened to the views of the residents we serve in Stoke Bardolph, Teal Close, Burton Joyce and surrounding communities and have decided to protect the green belt land to the east of Teal Close.
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"We have removed this specific site from the public consultation on the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan Preferred Approach. This specific site in Stoke Bardolph will not now be consulted on for a future housing allocation.
"The Government set a compulsory housing target for a least 7,950 homes to be built in Gedling Borough by 2038. The Government's policy has been to penalise councils that do not meet their compulsory housing targets. The Government's targets mean sites such as green belt land to the east of Teal Close in Stoke Bardolph were put at risk for future housing development."
A House of Commons vote had to be scrapped last month after dozens of Conservative MPs proposed an amendment calling for the mandatory housing target to be scrapped. The legislation is now due to return next week and Michael Gove has written to several MPs promising that the housing target will become "advisory."
But the statement from the three Gedling councillors added: "We share residents' concerns about compulsory housing targets set by central Government that do not take account of local views and local circumstances. We urge the Government and their Members of Parliament to urgently clarify their policy in terms of compulsory housing targets for council areas - a letter from the Secretary of State doesn't amount to a change in Government policy."
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