Concerns raised over lack of parking for new homes

An illustration of how the new apartments could look when complete

Concerns have been raised that a new housing development in Derby will not have enough car parking spaces.

More than 100 apartments will be built at the former Derbyshire Police station in Cotton Lane, Osmaston, as part of plans to transform the derelict building.

But the proposal by applicant DCG investments, which has been approved by Derby City Council, included 51 parking spaces.

Despite concerns raised by councillors and residents over the lack of parking, the firm behind the plan said there was "more than ample".

The new development will replace the now derelict former police station in Cotton Lane

The new development will be made up of 55 one-bed apartments and 47 two-bed apartments, with the intention to use as much of the former police station as possible, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

When councillors gave the plan the go-ahead, they expressed concerns about transport and the number of car parking spaces that would be available.

City councillor Gulfraz Nawaz told a planning meeting: "There should be more parking.

"We should be looking at more car parks on site and not on the roads. 50% is not good enough, we should have more."

Councillor Sara Bolton added she saw "difficulty" with traffic problems in Cotton Lane once the homes were built.

However, a city council officer said the new homes were in a sustainable location and that people who lived there would not need a car.

The officer added the level of traffic would not be worse in the area compared to when it served as a police station.

'More than ample'

As part of a petition against the plan, residents said parking in the area was already at "breaking point".

However, they did say in the petition that they supported development of the site.

DCG Investments director Manni Dosanjh said there were "more than ample" parking spaces available in the plan.

He added: "There's a lot more developments that have less car parking that has been passed through. We are providing more cycle storage and there is a bus route on site.

"Not everybody has got a vehicle and there are a lot of ways [to] travel from this development compared to others elsewhere."

The developer said construction was likely to start next year once a building contractor had been appointed.