Woodside Spondon

Thank you for visiting this consultation website.

Bloor Homes is undertaking pre-application public consultation on plans for a residential development on land to the north of Woodside, Spondon.

The proposals include 263 new homes, public open space and play areas. Vehicle access is proposed from the A6096, Dale Road, with the creation of a new pedestrian access to the public right of way network to the north-west of Spondon.

We value local knowledge and welcome your input. Please take your time to review the proposals and to fill in the feedback section.

The development will deliver a high-quality and sustainable development providing much-needed new homes, including affordable routes to home ownership.

Our proposals include:

• 263 new homes; with a variety of house-types;
• 10% of the new homes provided as on-site affordable housing (affordable routes to home ownership) and a significant financial contribution to affordable housing elsewhere;
• Vehicle access from Dale Road;
• Pedestrian and cycle links including the creation of a new pedestrian access to the public right of way to the west of the site;
• Areas of public open space and children’s play areas;
• Landscaped buffer to Spondon Wood;
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) with opportunities for wildlife;
• Infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging, with all new buildings provided with an EV point;
• Contributions to local services through a S106 Agreement.

PLANNING BACKGROUND

The site is a proposed allocation within the emerging Erewash Core Strategy. The draft allocation (Strategic Policy 1.4 – North of Spondon) is for around 200 dwellings. Draft allocations are only basic estimations of the capacity of sites using standardised formulae, which are then further informed by detailed evidence and master planning work which accompanies a planning application. This detailed work has shown that the site can accommodate a higher quantum of development (263 dwellings). The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning applications should make effective use of land, particularly in locations such as Derby City and Erewash, which are highly constrained by the Green Belt.

The Core Strategy has been submitted for examination, where it will be examined by Planning Inspectorate Inspectors who will test the Plan’s ‘soundness’ and ‘legal compliance’. If the Plan passes examination and is adopted, the site will formally be removed from the Green Belt.

Assessments of the site against the 5-purposes of the Green Belt by both Council Officers and consultants have confirmed that the site does not contribute strongly to the purposes of the Green Belt and can be removed for much needed housing.

The site comprises two agricultural arable fields which form a strip of land immediately north of Spondon, and south of ‘Spondon Wood’. The land benefits from a high level of enclosure, with existing residential development to the south (Huntley Avenue and Fallow Road) and mature woodland to the north and west. The eastern boundary of the site is again defined by established vegetation and the A6096 Dale Road.

Spondon is approximately 4.5km from Derby City centre and is acknowledged to be a sustainable location, with a range of services, facilities and access to public transport that would enable residents to live much of their daily lives with a low reliance on a private car. Existing bus stops are located on the A6096 Dale Road (c.150m south of the site) which are regularly served, with both the Ilkeston Flyer and 9A service, providing regular access to the centre of Spondon, Ilkeston, Ockbrook, Barrowash, Cotmanhay and Derby city centre.

The site is not subject to any statutory environmental designations. Spondon Wood is identified as Ancient & Semi-Natural Woodland and this has informed development proposals.

There are no designated heritage assets on the site, with the nearest being the registered parkland and listed buildings associated with Locko Park (predominantly Grade II). Topography, intervening built form and mature vegetation limit the impact on these assets.

The layout has been designed to incorporate opportunities for informal recreation and relaxation including children’s play areas and an appropriate landscaped buffer to Spondon Wood. The scheme delivers four hectares of new, publicly accessible open and amenity space.

An Ecological Impact Assessment has been undertaken which concluded that the site was of limited ecological value and that the proposals being advanced would not result in unacceptable harms to any protected species. The scheme includes a significant landscaped buffer to Spondon Wood to ensure the woodland is fully protected in accordance with emerging policy and national requirements.

New developments have a statutory requirement to demonstrate a Biodiversity Net Gain, which will be achieved through the delivery of high-quality ecological habitat such as a hedgerows, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and other ecologically beneficial habitats.

Vehicular access to the site is proposed from the A6096 Dale Road via a priority-controlled T-junction with a ghost-island right-turn lane. The existing 30mph speed limit would be extended to accommodate the development frontage, with the change point enhanced by gateway features.

The centre of Spondon is located within walking distance of the site, along with its associated amenities including schools, medical facilities, cafes, a supermarket, pubs, and restaurants. The proposed development would tie into the existing footway network within Spondon in the east and provide a connection to Footpath 58/1 in the west.

East Derby is within cycling distance of the site and there is a network of recommended routes and traffic-free cycle infrastructure within and to the south-west of Spondon that provides an attractive route to Derby city centre. Spondon railway station is within cycling distance of the site.

The nearest bus stops are less than 100m from the site boundary with regular services to Ilkeston and Derby. The proposed development would provide improvements to the existing bus stops close to the site boundary.

A comprehensive Transport Assessment and Travel Plan has been prepared. Improvements are proposed to existing junctions within Spondon (Spondon Roundabout and A6005 Nottingham Road/Willowcroft Road signal junction) to increase junction capacity and ensure the proposals do not cause undue impacts.

NEXT STEPS

An outline planning application is expected to be submitted during Summer 2023 after comments from this consultation have been considered. Following the submission of the planning application, Erewash Borough Council will undertake a period of statutory consultation. At this stage you will have the opportunity to submit your comments to the Council before a decision is made.

Bloor Homes has been building quality homes for over 50 years and is now the largest privately-owned housebuilder in the UK. We have a proven track record in delivering successful new communities. We take great pride in delivering high quality and energy efficient homes and are proud to be named a 5* housebuilder for Customer Satisfaction by the Home Builders Federation for five consecutive years.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Engage Planning Ltd, Warwick Innovation Centre, Warwick Technology Park, Warwick,

CV34 6UW Telephone: 01926 623095

Email: [email protected]