Developer wants to push through plans to build on Derbyshire Green Belt as part of construction on a former American Adventure theme park

Waystone Developments Ltd has submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate to see its plans for the former American Adventure theme park, in Shipley, approved.

This comes after Amber Valley Borough Council rejected plans to expand its development of the 114-acre site by just over half an acre – and to take it out of the neighbouring Green Belt, also Shipley Country Park.

The borough council rejected the scheme in June with 390 residents opposing the plan.

The proposed need for more land was to make way for a 17 to 22-metre-wide valley to be created for a diverted watercourse, taking water from Osborne’s Pond and Coppice Lake into Shipley Lake – offsetting the impact of a potential dam collapse at Osborne’s Pond, which is now a classified reservoir.

Meanwhile, the next plot for development would be raised by four to five metres higher than previously agreed.

This would in turn require the site boundary for the overall development to be expanded by 16 metres to the north-west, into the protected Green Belt, taking up an extra 0.7 acres.

Expanding in this area would require the realignment of the Nutbrook Trail, with a 155-metre section of the popular walking and cycling route having to be moved, including its closure for “around three weeks”.

However, councillors did not agree that the “exceptional circumstances” required to justify development in the protected Green Belt had been met.

Cllr Dean Watson, a member of Shipley Parish Council said the developer should find space within the 114-acre scheme for the wider watercourse valley instead of seeking to expand its site.

He said the new changes broke several of the conditions of the original permission for the site’s development: For it to not affect the Green Belt, not exceed the general height of existing structures, to create off-site infrastructure and to not significantly increase the density of the site or occupy a larger area of the site.

Alison Barnfield, agent for the developers, had said the changes did not involve a new access road or changed access road but were pitched as part of a collaboration with Derbyshire County Council to alleviate the impact of a potential dam breach at Osborne’s Pond.

Without the scheme being approved on the American Adventure site, extensive works would be required at Osborne’s Pond, at great public expense, the agent claimed.

She said the wider channel being created on-site would result in the next phase being reduced in size – though it would sit five metres higher.

Ms Barnfield said the proposed changes to the watercourse channel were to mitigate the potential “loss of life” from a dam collapse which was an “absolute necessity” with the impact of climate change growing.

Plans have already been approved for 307 homes, a retirement complex, shops, businesses, a pub, hotel and healthcare facility at the “Shipley Lakeside” site, with 48 homes already occupied and 302 homes started or due to be started soon.