More than 100 new houses approved in Notts despite concerns about access

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Access to the new homes will be via Woodyard Lane in Wollaton (Picture: Google)
By Kit Sandeman, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for 110 new houses in Wollaton have been approved despite concerns being raised about access.

Outline planning permission has been granted today and more detailed designs are expected to go before Nottingham City Council’s planning committee in the coming months.

No councillor voted against the plans, however there was one abstention from Councillor Linda Woodings, who represents the Basford ward for Labour.

Access to the new site will be via Woodyard Lane.

Planning officers believe it is wide enough for two cars to pass each other but there will be some places where one car is required to wait, as part of traffic calming measures.

Cllr Woodings said: “I do live very close to the bottom of Woodyard Lane, and when I saw these plans, to me it does look like an odd access route.

“You have a lot of roads coming together in what even now feels like quite a dangerous junction.

“You have to have the neck movements of an owl to check all the directions.”

Council officer James Ashton, from the council’s highways department, said a detailed assessment had been carried out on the junction where the new housing scheme will be accessed from.

It found there had been no accidents which involved an injury in the last five years.

Mr Ashton said: “We don’t think there will be a safety issue even with the additional build up of homes.”

The site currently consists of three empty ’employment buildings’ and used to be occupied by engineering firm Siemens for offices and manufacturing; these will be demolished to make way for the new houses.

The company relocated to a new site in the city in December 2017.

The planning application was made by Michael Davies on behalf of the Nottinghamshire County Council Pension Fund.

As a condition of permission being granted a ‘financial contribution towards education’ and £3,350 towards the improvement of the footpath link between the site and Lambourne Drive will be paid.