Council approves design of new 141-home estate near Chesterfield

Developers have now cleared another hurdle in their bid to build 141 homes on land to the west of Chesterfield Road at Holmewood.

Building company Berkeley DeVeer has planning permission to build on the site following a successful application in 2016, and North East Derbyshire District Council has now given the green light for the homes’ design, access and layout.

The developers say this is phase one of their plans – with a further 126 homes to follow and which have also previously been granted planning permission.

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Documents say there will be a mix of house types and a block of 10 flats, which will make up the affordable homes element of the scheme.

Council planning officer Adrian Kirkham said there were ‘some positive elements of the design’, including a ‘block structure’, though he admitted others were ‘not optimal’.

He said: “The layout and scheme exhibits some positive urban design issues whilst also being deficient in others.

"However, in terms of how the site interacts with the other development ongoing nearby it is deemed acceptable.”

The plans have been criticised by some Holmewood residents, with one claiming the area ‘is being pushed to the maximum level of development’.

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The letter of objection by Christine Edwards adds: “The cumulative impact of the estate will affect air quality and pollution, cause noise and will have implications for the highway network in the immediate area.”

Another resident, Dan Sellers, is concerned about anti-social behaviour and nuisance motorbikes as the site lies next to the Five Pits Trail.

"I am aware that off-road motorcycles are a huge problem and can affect the quality of life with their noise and danger to the public,” he said.

"I used to live near to the former Staveley Works and there were often young people tearing around on off-road motorbikes.”

Derbyshire police also described the layout of the homes as ‘deficient’ in crime prevention terms due to its proximity to the trail.

Keith Beswick, the force’s designing out crime officer, said the application ‘falls some way short’ from being acceptable ‘from the perspective of designing out crime and maximising community safety’.