Green light to build 450 new homes on derelict Derbyshire colliery site

The application for the former Whitwell Colliery site would see the creation of up to 450 new homes, as well as a new park, six hectares of industrial development, office buildings and retail.

The plans also include extensive landscaping and a new drop-off area at Whitwell train station.

A design and access statement by the developers states: “The site is located within the Parish of Hodthorpe and Belph, adjoining the larger settlement and neighbouring Parish of Whitwell, Derbyshire.

"Both Whitwell and Hodthorpe are well established neighbourhoods and together offer a wide range of village services and amenities. The site lies in the context of both villages.

"There is a widely-acknowledged housing need in Whitwell and the Bolsover District more generally. The Submission Draft Local Plan confirms that this site is essential to contributing towards the housing needs of the district.

"The development presents a highly positive solution to the long-term presence of this vacant, unattractive brownfield site that local residents have long deemed an ‘eyesore’ and we have learned this from the public consultation.

“Substantial opportunities are to be met in respect of drainage, biodiversity, public open space, highways, access and landscaping as a direct result of the regeneration of the site, in addition to new housing and employment land provision.

"The residential layout will include an appropriate mix of 2-4 bedroom, detached and semi-detached properties, placed sensitively around the site respective of variations in ground floor level and existing residential areas bordering the site.

"Up to 450 new dwellings are proposed along with up to 6 hectares of employment land, a local convenience retail store, car parking (Whitwell Railway Station and recreation), equipped play and landscaping.

“There is an opportunity to create a fully integrating development here, linking urban form with its countryside and topographical setting.”

The application, which has been ongoing since 2018, was approved by Bolsover District Council with a raft of conditions, including that work must commence within three years, and that all properties must be fully equipped with fibre broadband.