Developers' plan for town greenfield site

Matlock folk are being asked to comment on developers' plans for 430 homes on land off Gritstone Road.
The site proposed behind Gritstone RoadThe site proposed behind Gritstone Road
The site proposed behind Gritstone Road

The greenfield site has been the subject of a long, hard campaign to see it saved from development until Derbyshire Dales district councillors finally voted to see it included in the area’s local plan for housing provision in August.

Gritstone Road and other developments have now been put forward by Derbyshire Dales District Council in order to meet the Government’s target for 6,440 houses in the area to tackle the UK housing crisis.

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William Davis Homes’ draft masterplan for Gritstone Road includes the following:

- A mix of 1-5 bedroom houses including a proportion of affordable housing

​- A countryside park​

- New road links and improved bus service (30mins frequency)

​- Improvements to local drainage conditions

​- Community allotments

​- Potential neighbourhood shops / local centre

​- Section 106 contributions for local services

Julie Atkin, of the Wolds Action Group, speaking to the Mercury after the site was voted to be included in the local plan, said that people were genuinely concerned about what was going to happen with traffic in Matlock and the increased air pollution it would cause.

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She added: “They do not want Matlock to be a building site for the next 15 years and we also take it with pinch of salt that developers think that can solve the flooding issues.

“They have not shown any consideration for what people who live here say - we have seen the effect of four feet of thawing snow from up on that site.”

A spokesperson on behalf of William Davis Ltd said: “We believe that the Gritstone Road site can deliver real benefits to the local community at

the same time as providing much needed new homes for Matlock.

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“We know the local area and appreciate the concerns that people have raised about the site’s allocation in the Local Plan.

“Great care has been taken in developing our proposals to ensure that they respect the local landscape and address the key concerns that local residents have raised to date.

“I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to let us have their views before we finalise our proposals.”

The plans have not yet been submitted for outline planning permission with Derbyshire Dales District Council.

To view the plans and comment on them visit http://www.williamdavis-matlock.com.