Plans to build affordable new homes near Chesterfield thrown out

Developers The Guinness Partnership applied to Chesterfield Borough Council to build the two and three-bedroomed properties on land off Lodge Close, Brimington.

The company said all the homes would be let to ‘local people on waiting lists in the area’ and would bring an ‘undeveloped parcel of land’ close to Brimington Common back into use.

However, the council’s planning committee has rejected the proposal after 166 nearby residents objected because of fears over highway safety, loss of wildlife, noise, visual impact and the impact on local facilities.

MORE: Two Sheffield men jailed for drug dealing in Chesterfield

One resident said: “It would be criminal to destroy what is currently a haven for wildlife – walking the footpath across the field, as unkempt as it is, is a delight, particularly in summer.”

Other householders complained about the already congested traffic flow on Manor Road and said access to the site via Westwood Lane was ‘completely inappropriate’.

Planning officers urged that the plans were thrown out because they do not comply with Chesterfield Borough Council’s Local Plan – with homes being located too far from local services.

“The site is located on the fringe of the built settlement and the design and appearance of the development proposed bears no resemblance to the surrounding area, by virtue of

its siting, layout, scale and design,” officers report in planning documents.

“By virtue of its density, layout and design the development is compromised and constitutes overdevelopment.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor