By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Ashfield District Council has approved its own plans to build 20 new ‘affordable’ social homes near an industrial estate in the district.
The new homes, in Midland Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, will become part of the authority’s housing stock and will back onto the River Maun, close to the Maun Valley Industrial Park.
The development will include four one-bedroom and four two-bedroom flats, and six two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes.
The council’s planning committee gave the plans the green light on Wednesday (February 23).
Documents published before the meeting say the homes will help the authority address a growing demand for social housing district-wide.
The papers say there is a “shortfall of affordable housing within the district”, with about 3,750 people and families on the council’s waiting list.
It follows a plan announced by the Ashfield Independents administration to build 100 council homes within five years from 2018.
Councillor Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), leader of the council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting the development takes the authority above the 100-home target.
Speaking during the meeting, councillors also welcomed the plan for the social housing to be built and for former shrubland to be brought into use.
Cllr Arnie Hankin (Ash Ind), who represents Selston, said: “I think this is a very workable project. First and foremost it’s housing stock for us, which is very welcome because of the demand.
“A council house in my ward had 190 applicants, which is quite frightening.”
But the meeting heard seven letters of objection had been submitted against the proposals, raising some concerns about privacy, light, the loss of trees, Japanese Knotweed, traffic, highways and noise pollution.
The authority confirmed a treatment plan is already in place for the Japanese Knotweed, which is to the west of the land.
Cllr Matt Relf (Ash Ind), who represents Sutton Junction and Harlow Wood where the homes would be based, also spoke in the meeting to raise similar concerns from residents.
He called for traffic regulation orders to be put in place for the development, including double yellow lines to prevent cars from being parked dangerously on Midland Road and the nearby Leander Close.
He also called for flood alleviation works on the site to be increased by up to 40 per cent to plan for “potential future climate change events”.
These suggestions were welcomed by the committee.
And councillors also heard concerns from Martin Rigley, chief executive of the nearby Lindhurst Engineering business, about the site boundaries for the 20-home development.
Mr Rigley, who is also chairman of the council-backed Discover Ashfield Board, said boundaries for some properties on the eastern side would impede his lorries from being able to exit their workshops.
Councillors were told roughly 3.5 metres of the gardens proposed on the eastern edge were of a steep gradient and used as a turning circle for his lorries. Without this, he said, his business would not be able to operate.
And he warned some residents may be concerned by the noise generated from his manufacturing business, which operates between 6am and 6pm during the week and occasionally on weekends.
Cllr Zadrozny moved to reduce the garden space from one property to ensure Mr Rigley’s business is not affected by the council’s development.
This change means the single property will have less open space than the authority’s recommended guidance for new homes.
But Cllr Zadrozny said the resident taking up this home will “know what they’re getting” when it is marketed by the authority.
The plans were approved with seven votes in favour and one abstention.
