Mansfield: Wildlife concerns see homes plan rejected again

The council said the site was not part of its local housing plan

Plans to build more than 200 homes at a former quarry have been rejected again after the land owner appealed against the original decision.

An application for 204 homes at Gregory Quarry in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was turned down by the district council in July.

The authority was concerned about the impact on wildlife in the area.

Land owner Lee O'Connor took his case to the government's planning inspectorate but was again rebuffed.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Mansfield District Council rejected the homes plan last year on the grounds the development site had not been allocated as part of the council's local housing plan and was deemed to negatively impact designated wildlife.

The quarry, off Nottingham Road, is used as a foraging site by multiple species of bat.

The authority also found the scheme offered an "inability to protect" the nearby Quarry Lane Nature Reserve.

Planning inspectorate Siobhan Watson was asked by Mr O'Connor to review the decision - but came down on the side of the authority.

'Not sustainable'

In her written verdict, Ms Watson said: "Whilst there are some benefits to the scheme, including the provision of market and affordable housing, these do not outweigh the cumulative harm I have found.

"The loss of the [green infrastructure], whatever type of habitat existed, and the harm to local greenspace and community open space, are sufficient to make the scheme unacceptable even without the additional biodiversity harm.

"The proposal, therefore, conflicts with the development plan as a whole and does not represent sustainable development."

Mr O'Connor could not immediately be reached for a comment on the appeal dismissal but had previously described his plans as an "exceptional residential environment" that both "embraces ecology and the needs of the wider community".