By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Mansfield District Council is progressing plans to build four apartments on the site of a demolished boiler house by looking for a contractor – but only after its proposals have been granted planning permission.
The authority approved the budget to redevelop the site, at Fritchley Court, Oak Tree Lane estate, during a delegated decision in November last year. It is expected to cost the council about £800,000 to complete.
A planning application was then submitted the following week, which is yet to be approved by the authority’s planning committee.
Documents show that subject to permission being granted, four one-bedroom apartments will be created in a single block on the former boiler house land.
On-site parking for six cars would be provided alongside small gardens and a communal grass area for residents, while the homes would be “future-proofed with low carbon heating and high energy efficiency”.
However, the proposals were put forward as an alternative to separate council plans to redevelop The Willows in Warsop for the same purpose.
Assessments by the council found The Willows plans – which would have seen the four apartments used to redevelop a former bedsit – were unlikely to be granted planning permission due to the site’s close location to a flood zone.
The Warsop plans were then scrapped in favour of the Fritchley Court proposals.
Now the council wants to find a main contractor for the development, which has been set an overall budget of £800,000.
However, documents state the tender process cannot officially begin until the development receives planning permission. An application was submitted by the council on November 26.
Jill Finnesey, the authority’s head of housing, will take a delegated decision on approving the procurement process on January 12.
A report published ahead of the meeting states: “In order to implement the decision to develop the scheme, it will be necessary to tender the opportunity for a main contractor.
“If the tender exercise is successful and the council receives compliant bids a contract will then need to be awarded to the successful tenderer.
“The commencement of the tendering exercise will not begin until the development has received planning permission. A planning application was submitted [in November].”
The investment forms part of plans to address long waiting lists for council-owned properties in north Nottinghamshire.
Data from Homefinder, the lettings partnership between Mansfield and Ashfield district councils, shows there are about 3,000 applicants in the area who need one-bedroom accommodation.
For every one-bedroom apartment advertised on the site, documents show there are regularly more than 120 bids for that home.
It follows separate Mansfield District Council plans to redevelop the “heart” of the town’s Bellamy Road estate.
A planning application for this development has already been approved and the procurement process was launched at the end of last year.
Now documents show the contract for the first phase of the development will be awarded to Marvel Projects Ltd.
The first phase, costing £293,107.38, will see new open space, an equipped play area and a ‘learn to cycle track’ delivered at the hub of the estate, in Egmanton Road.
The wider development will see 22 council homes built on the site of existing shops and the now-demolished Courtlands Social Club, with new shops and a through-road between Thorpe Road and Egmanton Road to be created.
The Bellamy Road project, once complete, will cost the authority £7 million.
