Opposition grows to new homes development off 'dangerous' narrow lane on edge of Chesterfield

Although developers have scaled back their original bid for 65 homes on the Calow site to 45, letters of objection continue to pour in to planners at North East Derbyshire District Council.

Residents opposed to the development, at Dark Lane, say the plans are causing ‘stress and anxiety’, and their neighbourhood will be engulfed by new housing estates and an increase in traffic if the proposal goes ahead.

A typical letter, by resident Julie Jackson, says traffic remains the key issue.

MORE: The origin and history behind 19 Chesterfield town centre street names

"Forty-five houses will mean a constant pressure by cars getting onto the impossibly narrow Dark Lane, past the very popular Calow Cobs and waiting to get onto the busy main road.

"Also, of course, cars travelling in the other direction, going into the estate. And so many people now have deliveries.

“I truly believe that this would be a very unsuitable situation. Difficult, distressing, and potentially dangerous.”

Horse Society spokesperson Karen Haywood said traffic via the proposed access route would pose ‘serious risks to equestrians and other vulnerable users along the single-track lane with blind bends that is Dark Lane’.

Calow Parish Council has also reacted to the scaled back proposals for Dark Lane – which developer Stancliffe Homes says is due to a review of the plan after feedback about its visual impact.

A spokesperson said: “Calow Parish Council considers that its original comments still stand and that the main issue of traffic entering and leaving the proposed development via the Dark Lane/Top Road junction remains a principal concern.

"The proposed development is also outside of the settled development limit for the village.”

Announcing that the number of proposed homes had been reduced by 20, a revised planning statement said: “Following comments from the council’s landscape consultant and concerns in relation to the visual impact of the proposed development, the scheme has been amended with the housing proposals sited on the two fields nearest Dark Lane.

"The third field located on the western edge of the site will be retained as a biodiversity improvement area.”