MP says new developments are necessary to meet housing needs - but shares residents' 'concerns' over massive Clowne homes scheme

Waystone Ltd’s planning application for its Clowne Garden Village scheme, near Clowne and Barlborough, including 1,800 homes with 24 hectares of greenfield land for employment, community and commercial development is being considered by Bolsover District Council.

And the recently-elected Labour MP for Bolsover has now conveyed in a letter to the council the ‘clear and overwhelming’ opposition of hundreds of residents with her shared concerns about transport, flooding, available GP surgeries and dentists, affordable housing and the strain on schools.

Ms Fleet stated: “I have met with hundreds of residents and community representatives from Barlborough and Clowne and it is my duty to convey the clear and overwhelming opposition to the proposals for the Clowne Garden Village development.

“While new developments are necessary to meet current and future housing needs and to ensure everyone has access to a safe, affordable home, it is essential that any development proceeds with careful consideration of its impact on local communities.

“I strongly believe that the residents of Barlborough and Clowne have several legitimate concerns about this proposed development – concerns which I share. Furthermore, I am not confident that the current attempts to mitigate these issues in the planning application adequately address the points raised by local residents.”

Clowne Garden Village Action Group and many residents have objected to the planning application, at the proposed site north of Clowne including part of the village centre off Hickinwood Lane.

They fear the scheme will result in overcrowding with increased housing, create a huge strain on the highways and services, create drainage and flooding problems and affect the countryside and wildlife with the potential loss of Green Belt land.

The group’s membership has grown to over 2,000, and its online and paper petitions have over 6,000 signatures from residents in Clowne and Barlborough, and about 1,400 public comments have been submitted to the council.

Ms Fleet highlighted that poor public transport means there is already significant pressure on the road network and she fears nearby approved developments will make this worse with more traffic on the Chesterfield to Worksop road accessing the M1 motorway.

She added that ‘unclear’ proposals to improve the Treble Bob roundabout – off Oxcroft Way, the A619 Chesterfield Road, and the A616 to Junction 30 of the M1 motorway – will create further disruption and pollution amid concerns for pedestrian safety and further pressures at De Rodes roundabout and Slayley View Road.

Ms Fleet stated the scheme’s current provision does not include additional dentist places for an estimated 4,500 new residents and she is not convinced the proposed support for GPs will be sufficient.

In addition, a proposed new school is not considered adequate by Derbyshire County Council to serve this expected new influx, according to Ms Fleet, and delays could also see youngsters having to travel to other primary schools with limited capacity.

Ms Fleet added that residents have also raised concerns about the additional demand the housing scheme will place on Clowne’s Heritage High School.

Clowne also experienced significant flooding in 2023 and residents are concerned the scheme’s proposed drainage and water run-off plans could make things worse and cause additional flow into Harlesthorpe Dam, according to Ms Fleet.

She added that there is also a lack of clarity about affordable and social housing with the scheme and she is concerned any final allocation of affordable housing will not be sufficient to address needs.

Ms Fleet said: “It is essential that all of the aforementioned issues and concerns are fully addressed to the satisfaction of the community without which I believe it would not be appropriate to approve a development of this scale and significance.”

Government agency Active Travel England has also objected to the housing scheme after arguing that it fails to meet the need to provide sufficient infrastructure for walking and cycling.

Chief Executive Karen Hanson, of Bolsover District Council, has said the council’s utmost priority is around communities and safe and happy places to live and it will do everything it can in terms of its planning responsibilities.

Planning Manager Sarah Kay has said there will be a transport assessment to calculate the impact of the development on the surrounding highways network, key junctions and with traffic moving around Clowne.

Ms Kay has also stated that Waystone will have to look at the impact beyond its application boundary and the developer will have to mitigate any potential impacts.

And Ms Kay explained that if any concerns about drainage, flooding and a potential strain on existing services are identified, Waystone will also have to consider how it can mitigate these issues with possible extra costs.

Council Planning Policy Manager Chris McKinney has also previously explained the council has to meet housing and affordable housing targets because of growing demand and nationwide shortages and there is a strategy to expand Clowne but this particular site could involve a progressive 20-year long process.

He has explained that following a robust review “exceptional circumstances” were cited allowing the removal of part of the proposed site from Green Belt preservation.

The council has stated it does not wish to comment any further at this stage after it has supported the scheme’s consultation and feels it has previously addressed concerns.

Waystone has claimed there is support for the scheme in terms of the potential for economic growth, facilities and jobs.