Plans submitted for £14 million housing estate in Derbyshire town

A planning application has been submitted to Bolsover District council to build the two, three and four-bedroom homes on Lees Lane in South Normanton.

If given the go ahead by the Council, Honey will start work at the housing estate called Amber in spring – with the first residents expected to move into their new homes this December. Amber will feature 14 house types with prices starting from £184,950 for a two-bedroom mid-terrace home.

Former Avant Homes CEO and Honey’ s founder, Mark Mitchell,said: “We have worked very hard to ensure all our homes will provide buyers with an ideal combination of style, substance and sustainability. We know there is strong demand for high quality, high specification new homes in South Normanton so we are pleased to submit our plans for consideration by Bolsover District Council.”

Honey says that standard features in every home will include bi fold doors, individually designed fully integrated kitchens and boutique style bathrooms with a signature free standing bath and full height tiling. All properties will have an electric vehicle charging point. In addition, the house types will accommodate the Future Homes Standard which requires all new homes being built from 2025 onwards to produce 75-80 per cent less carbon emissions.

According to the design and access statement, South Normanton’s housing estate will also include small areas of green space around the western fringe of the site as well as street trees planted across the site.

One objection to the plans has been submitted earlier this week by David Marriott. He said: “I see from the letter that "the main site access" is still on Lees Lane. This imbecilic decision will live to be regretted by the good people of Lees Lane but not alas by the members of the planning committee. I would suggest, even at this late stage, that this folly be corrected. It is difficult enough to drive to and from Lees Lane, now, without having to reverse or manoeuvre to allow traffic through. I won't, however, hold my breath waiting for a sensible decision to be made.”

Additioanlly, Derbyshire Police Crime Officer Keith Beswick has expressed some safety concerns and suggested changes.

He said: “A short section of what is described as an informal footpath has been introduced to link the site entrance to a terminating road head within the site, whereas previously the road design was circular. The proposed path runs very close to private curtilage, through a shared semi-private driveway, and bisects the boundaries of new housing and the retained farmhouse.

“At best the path muddles the hierarchy of space here, introducing open foot movement through what was previously private enclosed space, and at worst the route will become a generator of nuisance for the new and existing plots close by. I accept that the route presents a more convenient route for some inner plots, but consider that on balance, from my perspective, the drawbacks outweigh the advantages.”

Coal authority, Ramblers Association and Explosives Inspectorate have all commented on the application saying they have no objections to the plans.