New firm takes over Derbyshire development after contractor went bust

Permission was originally given to Wildgoose Homes for the development of 28 homes off Highstairs Lane, Stretton, however after Wildgoose Construction went into administration Meadowview Homes bought the project.

The new developer returned to North East Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee with two applications to vary the permission, allowing their own style of homes to be built, and, however residents were worried that the changes increased the number of bedrooms and posed a threat to trees.

Speaking in the meeting, resident Lucy Harries said: “Nine of the 28 homes on the site have an increase in the number of bedrooms, that’s 32 per cent of the properties on the site.

“The total number of bedrooms increases from 94 to 103, this is a ten per cent increase in size.”

She said the increase in bedrooms would mean more residents and an impact upon traffic and parking.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, agent Jon Millhouse said: “Some of the plots are slightly larger others are slightly smaller and some garages have become integral, but the overall footprint of buildings has increased by less than 0.3 per cent.”

He added that the ridge height of every single property was lower than previously allowed.

Mrs Harries raised concerns for a row of trees in a route protection area, and called for new calculations to be made to ensure they were preserved.

The agent responded: “We’re not relying on old reports that have been questioned we’ve had a new tree survey and what’s really important is that the new tree line that’s been offered, even though the applicants can build to the old one, is further away from the trees, so if this application is approved the trees will be better protected than the existing permission.”

All variations to the application were approved by the committee.