Planning permission has been granted to build apartments in Chesterfield despite parking concerns.

A two-storey building which would accommodate four flats with a parking space each is planned for land adjacent 65 St Johns Road, Newbold.

Vini Buldawoo of Zed Property Rentals Ltd, whose application has been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council, proposes access to the site via a private unadopted road leading to Poplar Place from St John’s Road. The existing access road would be widened to allow two cars to pass. Widening the access drive would result in the loss of one parking space on St Johns Road.

A resident’s letter to Chesterfield Borough Council stated: “The densely-packed properties along this section of St Johns Road rely heavily on on-street parking: most have little or no front garden nor space between buildings so there's little scope for off-street parking. When the St Johns Road on-street parking areas are full, residents resort to parking on nearby roads such as Edmund Street, or on the pavements.

The site on St John's Road, Newbold proposed for the two-storey building which would accommodate four apartments.

placeholder image — The site on St John's Road, Newbold proposed for the two-storey building which would accommodate four apartments.

"The plans show that each of the four flats has two double-bedded rooms, with accommodation potential for four adults per apartment. If each adult has a vehicle, there could be up to 16 extra vehicles needing parking spaces. Even with just two adults per apartment, that still could mean eight extra vehicles.

“The proposed off-street parking of only four spaces for the apartments could result in up to 12 additional vehicles, plus visitors' vehicles, seeking on-street parking where it is already overcrowded or where it might compromise safety (on pavements or amongst school traffic).”

The resident suggested that the site of the proposed development is ideally suited to become a residents’ car park (with EV charging points). “This would reduce congestion and increase safety on St Johns Road and near Edmund Street school, and enable residents to have EV cars without the hazard of charging cables laid across pavements,” they commented.

An officer’s report to the borough council stated that the provision of four spaces accords with Derbyshire County Council’s parking guidance for 1-2 bedroom dwellings in urban areas.

The two-storey apartment block proposed for St John's Road.

In a letter to the council, the applicant wrote: “Should the Local Planning Authority wish to see an increase in the number of off-street parking spaces it is considered that there is sufficient space at the rear of the building for these to be provided whilst retaining adequate amenity space.”

Subsequent correspondence from a resident to the planning authority said: “I would request that the offer of more off-street parking which has been offered by the applicant be utilised. The parking provision for residents on St Johns Road, especially in the one-way section, is insufficient and regularly overflows onto Edmund Street and the already congested Mountcastle Street. Giving consideration to the proximity of schools, I would also consider this a point of road safety.”