By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
An appeal hearing over contentious plans for 240 homes on the former site of a toxic tip is due to go ahead this month.
Broxtowe Borough Council unanimously refused plans for the homes on land off Braemar Avenue, Eastwood, in December 2022 after 1,000 objections were received.
Housebuilder Gleeson Homes appealed against the council’s decision to refuse the development, and pointed out council officers originally recommended the plans should be approved.
Sue O’Brien, who is part of a campaign to stop the plans, said the group fears if the land is disturbed, toxicity from the landfill site could be released into the air.
Councillors raised concerns in December over the site’s proximity to ‘Matkin’s Tip’, a former unlicensed landfill site.
According to the plans, some of the homes would be built directly on top of the area of the former landfill site, which is now overgrown, while others would be alongside it.
A ground report by engineering firm Atkins found there were toxic metals in part of the land including zinc, nickel and lead, “at levels considered to be potentially harmful to human health”.
Government agency the Planning Inspectorate has allocated the plans to an inspector for a hearing on February 13. The planning inspectorate case officer is Vicky Williams.
Since the appeal was lodged, campaigners have collected more than 500 new signatures from locals opposing the plans.
Mrs O’Brien, who lives near the site, moved to the area in 2019. At the time she wasn’t aware the house was near a former toxic tip.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This has been going on for 20 years with various planning applications.
“We have been working tirelessly for a long time on this.
“When the plans were refused we all thought it was over. We were over the moon.”
The plans were originally refused by the council as “due to the close proximity of the application site to a former landfill site containing unknown levels of contamination, the proposal is considered to provide insufficient protection for future residents of the development”.
Ms O’Brien said the group has been preparing more opposition since it found out the appeal date had been confirmed.
She added: “We are running around like headless chickens.
“We were under the impression that we wouldn’t have a say at all but now it is being held as a public hearing. We are so nervous and worried.
“If they get planning permission we wouldn’t be able to have our grandkids playing in the garden.
“It’s horrible to think what is under that land.”
A Gleeson Spokesperson said: “Gleeson was disappointed with the original outcome of the planning application, which was refused despite a recommendation to approve from planning officers, and no objection from the environmental health officer. Gleeson awaits the outcome of the appeal process later this month.”
