Derbyshire council's plan to use land near toxic sites for homes to hit housing targets

Amber Valley Borough Council has laid out where it would like to earmark housing for the next two decades and this includes multiple sites in Somercotes.

Two of the proposed sites, which have been identified for prospective developers, sit next to hazardous landfills which are known to have caused widespread contamination of surrounding land.

One would be a 75-home plot off Birchwood Lane in Somercotes, connected two previously approved housing developments off Birchwood Lane (200 homes) and Stanley Street (180 homes).

A smaller nearby site comprising 10 homes off Park Side in Somercotes has also been put forward, directly next to the approved site of 99 homes opposite the rugby club.

A planning application for 18 houses had previously been submitted for the Park Side site.

Both of the new Somercotes submissions would sit close to controversial former contaminated landfill sites which have been the subject of intense investigations.

The LS01 landfill, off Norman Road, and the LS41 landfill, on the Amber Valley Rugby Club site, had previously been used for dumping huge amounts of toxic waste.

The borough council itself says that for decades the toxic material dumped on the LS01 landfill in particular was not accounted for due to lax legislation at the time for hazardous waste disposal.

Campaigners and numerous ground investigation reports detail that contamination from these sites and its movement to adjoining plots has resulted in a risk to human health with widespread remediation required before anyone can live there.

Approved homes at the Birchwood Lane and Stanley Street sites will have suspended floors and a range of other measures installed in the houses in an aim to reduce the risk from contamination.

If the latest Somercotes sites are earmarked for houses and developers submit plans for the plots, the area around the toxic landfills could total 564 new homes.

MORE TO READ: North Derbyshire villagers make 'valiant' effort to save green fields around Jacobean hall from development

The proposed new Birchwood Lane site would sit on what is currently an equestrian centre including numerous paddocks and fields, stretching down towards Bonnington Drive and a children’s play area.

To the east of the proposed site would be the 200-home Nether Farm development, from private land owner Bernard Swain, which would also stem off Birchwood Lane.

Meanwhile, to the south of the site would sit the 180-home Stanley Street scheme from Gladman Developments.

The Park Side development would sit immediately to the west of the 99-house Paul Newman New Homes scheme off the B600 Lower Somercotes Road.

A third Somercotes housing site is also included in the borough council’s plans for future development, with 25 houses off Sleetmoor Lane, next to the Alfreton and District Amateur Sports Club ground and near to the Thornton’s factory complex.

The borough council has been given a target by central Government to see 376 homes built each year in Amber Valley, totalling 6,392 homes between April this year and March 2039.

However, officers write that it “may be appropriate” to approve additional housing sites to cater for population growth over that time period and requests from neighbouring constrained councils with their homes targets.