Resident's concern as developer ‘trying to ride roughshod over feelings’ with Chesterfield housing plan

The original proposal by Dovedale Properties submitted in 2021, included nine flats. Residents raised concerns about safety and parking.

The developer then withdrew the plans and replaced them with a new one, proposing three four-bedroom flats and two parking spaces.

Resident Andrew Hibberd, 63, who has been dropping leaflets in the area to inform neighbours of a new application, said: “The developer has submitted a new application to dissociate previously made public objections.

“If they know they're not going to get an application through because it receives a lot of local criticism, they withdraw and submit a new one. People don't realise that there is a new application. So none of the previous complaints transfer across to the new application. It doesn't look as if anyone complained, even though there are complaints.

“The original application that I objected to was an L shaped building quite large and very intrusive. The second application is straight building. It's slightly lower and would be less intrusive than the first building had intended to be.

“But it's still a massive overdevelopment of a very small site. They want to fit 12 people on 400 square metres, while realistically you put two cottages in there. This is done purely for profit.

“Parking in the area is by permit only and is very, very restricted. There is not a lot of space. If they put three flats of multiple occupation in that site, without car parking, potentially, that could bring another 12 cars into the road. And if that happens, then everything will shuffle down and those of us living at the bottom won't be able to park anywhere near our homes.”

Rick Cusimano of Dovedale Property met with Andrew to discuss the residents' concerns. He said :“During our meeting Mr Hibberd shared primarily concerns over lack of parking on Wharf Lane. I explained that an audit across all our roughly 40 HMO occupants gives us a roughly 30% car ownership level across Chesterfield. Among the 12 residents this gives us 3.6 cars.

“We have put forward a plan which includes two parking spaces but there could be scope for three or perhaps four parking spaces subject to us re-organising the outside space. That would need to be supported by the council because it could bring a loss of amenity space, but we would be happy to consider making more spaces available if the residents and council required it.

“I’ve also shared a letter with the neighbours to discuss our plans for the area and why our latest scheme is, we feel, the best suited scheme available.”

Andrew added: “He is trying to ride roughshod over the feelings and concerns of people who live on the road. There are a lot of children in the area. We have got a college down here and we get a lot of students walking up and down that stretch of road engrossed in their phones.

“We have Abercombie primary school and nursery just across the road. And a lot of young children run down that road at school kicking out time. If a car just happen to come out at the wrong moment, it would be catastrophic.”

Residents have until December 28 to comment on the plans.