Plans for 301 homes on green fields in Chesterfield set for approval

An application for the estate of two, three and four-bedroom houses to the east of Linacre Road, Holme Hall, will be decided by Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee on Monday, June 6 – with officers recommending they are approved.

The 15.2-hectate site is surrounded by residential estates and woodland with green belt to the west in the neighbouring district of North East Derbyshire.

Council documents reveal the application has received 49 letters of objection, with many nearby residents concerned about the loss of green space and its impact on wildlife and the mental health of residents.

Fiona Maddock said the site should be classed as green belt.

"This section of land is home to mature trees, including oaks. mature shrub, hedgerows and grassland,” she said.

"There is an increasing decline of this habitat which is impacting on the wildlife that lives there and is vital to them. If more hedgerows are taken away, we will see an even further decline on species of birds, bats, insects and animals.

"Hedgehogs are in huge decline and we need to hang on to every bit of mature shrub we can to help their population.

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“301 homes is a very large number of houses and the number of people that would live in these properties we would expect that to be double the number of houses and more. As mentioned in other objections, the amount of traffic and parking problems will be huge as will the pollution.”

In their report, council officers say the site has been earmarked for 300 homes and meets their criteria for development.

"The application site is allocated in the Adopted Local Plan for the development of a minimum of 300 dwellings,” documents say.

"The proposal in providing for 301 dwellings with a link to Wardgate Way and a buffer to the Ashgate Plantation is considered to meet the requirements of the Adopted Local Plan.”

Officers said all other material considerations had been considered.

A planning statement, submitted as part of the application by Tilia Homes Ltd says the 301 houses will include 54 affordable homes.

Tilia is marketing the development as ‘an attractive, viable and deliverable scheme’.