Second council to debate plans for 235 homes near…

Second council to debate plans for 235 homes near college in Mansfield

Plans by Nottinghamshire County Council to use land it owns to build 235 homes on the Mansfield and Ashfield border will be debated by a second council.

The development is being proposed on the outskirts of Mansfield at Cauldwell Road, directly across from Vision West Nottinghamshire College.

They have already been approved in March by Ashfield District Council’s planning committee.

The land, at the former Rushley Farm area, is primarily within the Ashfield district but a small corner in the north west sits in Mansfield.

Now Mansfield District Council’s planning committee will discuss the same plans later this month to allow the development to come forward.

Nottinghamshire County Council has submitted the proposals alongside its contractor Arc Partnership.

The Tory-run authority owns the land and now plans to use it for housing, with money from a future developer to go into the council’s budget.

No detailed proposals have been put forward for the site, with Ashfield Council only approving the principle of using the land for housing.

Plans for access, design, scale and the layout will need to be approved during future ‘reserved matters’ planning applications.

However, early drawings suggest the scheme could be accessed by two entry points on either side of the opposite entrance to the college.

And at its own planning committee meeting on June 12, Labour-led Mansfield Council will be asked to approve the same application.

In a report, the authority’s planning department said: “The provision of new homes carries substantial weight in favour of granting planning permission.

“It would boost the supply of housing, contributing up to 235 new homes across the wider site, including affordable homes.

“It would bring about additional housing choice and competition in the housing market.”

Papers confirm a number of conditions would be placed on the application if approved by Mansfield councillors next week.

This includes requests for significant developer contributions to mitigate the impact of the plans in both Mansfield and Ashfield.

When Ashfield councillors discussed the plans in March, they called for the majority of these contributions to be directed to their district.

And Mansfield papers suggest £14,356.03 could be provided to fund a new recycling centre in either Mansfield or Ashfield.

The district council will also ask for 20 per cent of the homes built within its district to be marketed as ‘affordable’, alongside a contribution of £1,100 per Mansfield home towards off-site open space.

A further £83,728 is requested for special educational needs, £225,500 for bus stop improvements, £8,288 towards improvements at Mansfield Library and £249,687.50 towards healthcare.

And both councils have called for a travel plan coordinator, costing £16,200, as well as strategic transport contributions of £1,498 per new home on the wider scheme.

Transport was an issue discussed at the Ashfield Council committee in March, with one councillor calling for improvements to Cauldwell Road’s junction with the busy A60 in Mansfield.

Cllr Matt Relf (Ash Ind), who represents Sutton Junction and Harlow Wood, said: “On the Mansfield side of things, the [A60/Cauldwell Road] junction is a nightmare at the best of times.

“It would be good for the county council to turn that junction into a roundabout – or some other form of junction – to ease flow around there.

“It is a dangerous junction and, with the additional traffic this could cause, I think it would benefit having a highways improvement.”

And Cllr Keith Girling (Con), the county council’s cabinet member for asset management, previously said: “An independent transport assessment … showed traffic from the site can be accommodated.

“The A60/Cauldwell Road junction is in line for an upgrade, with the assessment showing a limited impact on Derby Road.”

Mansfield councillors will be recommended to approve the plans at the June 12 meeting.