New village plans face crucial showdown

Thousands of objections have been made against the scheme

Plans to build 1,800 homes near two Derbyshire villages will head to a crucial planning meeting next week.

The Clowne Garden Village scheme proposes developing 24 hectares of greenfield land near Clowne and Barlborough.

Hundreds of Clowne Garden Village Action Group campaigners and residents have objected to Bolsover District Council over Waystone Ltd’s scheme.

Fears have been raised the new village will lead to overcrowding, place a strain on highways, health services and education, create drainage and flooding problems and affect the countryside and wildlife, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Officers are recommending that the council approves outline permission for the scheme.

A council spokesperson said: “Anyone who has made a representation about the planning application who wishes to publicly address the planning committee meeting can do so.”

Homes are proposed on land that is currently open fields

Waystone Ltd has proposed improvements at the A616 and A619 Treble Bob Roundabout between Barlborough and Clowne to accommodate the scheme.

But the council and the developers were in dispute in May after the applicant claimed it could only spare nearly £10m for infrastructure costs despite the council’s belief the scheme is viable to meet a £29m target.

Bolsover council chief executive Karen Hanson has said the council’s priority is “communities and safe and happy places” and it has been doing everything it can in terms of its planning responsibilities.

But the council said the site has been part of its Local Plan since 2016 and featured as a strategic site allocation in the Local Plan for Bolsover district which was adopted in March 2020.

Online and paper petitions against the scheme have more than 6,000 signatures from residents in Clowne and Barlborough and about 1,400 public comments have been submitted to the council.

Bolsover MP Natalie Fleet said she strongly believes many residents have “legitimate concerns”.

A planning committee meeting is due to discuss the scheme on Tuesday.