'Green Belt land exists for a reason - to stop towns like ours from being swallowed up by urban sprawl' - campaign founder's reaction on plan for up to 580 homes near Chesterfield

Concerned residents who are worried about the impact that hundreds of new homes would have on highways and essential services are opposing the plan to develop fields at Whittington Road, New Whittington.

Chantelle Warner-Wells lives just off Devonshire Avenue North, less than 100m from the proposed development. She said: “The infrastructure around here simply isn't built for this. We're talking about potentially over a thousand additional cars on roads that already struggle. When Whittington Road floods — which it does, regularly — traffic is pushed through New Whittington centre and surrounding residential streets that were never designed to carry that kind of volume. Add another 580 households to that equation and it becomes very difficult to see how that works.

“And it isn't just roads. Our GP surgeries are already under pressure. Getting a dental appointment in this area is already a challenge. Local schools are at or near capacity. These are the things that affect people's daily lives, and none of them are in a position to absorb the demand that a development of this scale would bring without significant, guaranteed investment — which we haven't seen any commitment to.

“Like a lot of residents neaby, we have concerns about surface water drainage – replacing nearly 70 acres of agricultural fields that currently absorb rainfall with roads and rooftops inevitably changes where that water ends up.

"But at the heart of it for me is the Green Belt itself. That land exists for a reason — to stop towns like ours from being swallowed up by urban sprawl. Once it's gone, it's gone permanently. And this particular site isn't just any Green Belt land. Chesterfield Borough Council's own Plan for Nature identifies it as medium and high priority land for nature recovery. There are 15 pairs of breeding skylarks out there, an active badger sett, red and amber listed bird species. It's a genuinely important wildlife corridor, and we'd be losing it forever.”

Chantelle has launched a campaign called Save Our Village Action Group. She said: “The group has only just been set up, but the response from the community has been overwhelming — people are angry, they're worried, and they want to do something about it.

"We know the Whittington Road planning application is coming in the autumn, and our whole focus right now is making sure that when it lands, this community is informed, organised and ready to oppose it as loudly and as effectively as possible. We're not against new housing — we understand there's a need for it. But this is the wrong development, in the wrong place, at the wrong scale. And we intend to say so.”

A public meeting at New Whittington Social Institute on Wednesday, August 19 has been arranged by Cllr Mark Cliff so that councillors can hear directly from residents. Chantelle said: “After that, we'll be producing leaflets to make sure everyone in the area knows what's being proposed and what they can do about it.”

The plan for Whittington Road was unveiled on May 21 in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Opinion request to Chesterfield Borough Council, submitted on behalf of Harworth Group. On June 4 the council ruled that the the proposals did not constitute EIA development and therefore an Environmental Statement was not required. An officer’s report stated: “There are likely to be visual, ecological, and air quality impacts resulting from the development, however much of this harm would be localised and can be mitigated through the remit of any planning application.” The borough’s local plan – adopted in July 202 and currently being reworked – states: “Sites are made available for at least 4080 homes between 2018 and 2035, the majority of which are located within easy reach of the existing district and town centres. Some new housing development will be directed to areas suffering from deprivation to aid the regeneration of these communities. Some of this housing will need to be in well-designed, sensitive urban extensions on greenfield sites.” states Sites are made available for at least 4080

Chantelle said: “What I can't get my head around is the decision that a full Environmental Impact Assessment isn't required for a development of this scale. 580 homes on protected Green Belt land — and the council doesn't think the environment needs to be formally assessed? I think a lot of residents share that disbelief, and we've written to the council to formally challenge that decision.”

Highlighting proposals for thousands of new houses in the surrounding area, Chantelle said: “Staveley Works alone accounts for up to 1,290 new homes across its various phases. Chesterfield Waterside is delivering up to 1,500 dwellings. Dunston Road has outline permission for around 500 homes. Mastin Moor is planned for 650. Duckmanton has 275 approved. Bent Lane in Staveley proposes a further 200. And right now, this week, there are two more active applications in Inkersall Green — Gladman Developments are seeking permission for up to 350 homes on Bamford Road, and Hollins Strategic Land are proposing a further 400 on Inkersall Road. Add Harworth's 580 on Whittington Road and we are looking at nearly 5,750 new homes being proposed or built across this small patch of north Derbyshire.

"Nobody appears to be asking the fundamental question of whether our roads, our doctors, our schools and our local services can collectively cope with that level of growth. We believe that question urgently needs an answer before a single further permission is granted.

"I'd urge anyone in the Inkersall Green area reading this to be aware that the consultation deadline on the Bamford Road application closes this Sunday, July 26 — residents there are facing almost exactly the same fight as we are, and there is real strength in these communities standing together.”

The borough council is currently reworking the Chesterfield Local Plan which will replace the one adopted in 2020. The Chesterfield Local Plan of 2020 states: “Sites are made available for at least 4080 homes between 2018 and 2035, the majority of which are located within easy reach of the existing district and town centres. Some new housing development will be directed to areas suffering from deprivation to aid the regeneration of these communities. Some of this housing will need to be in well-designed, sensitive urban extensions on greenfield sites.”