Plans for thousands of homes between Tollerton and Gamston remain under discussion more than a decade after the land was first identified for development.
The site, which includes the former Nottingham City Airport land, was allocated for housing in Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Local Plan in 2014.
The wider proposals could eventually see around 4,000 homes built, alongside roads, schools, shops, employment space, community facilities and other infrastructure.
The plans have faced opposition from local campaigners, including the Save Nottingham City Airfield Group (SNAG), which has challenged planning applications, council decisions and correspondence linked to the site.
In March, Rushcliffe Borough Council approved a supplementary planning document (SPD) for the site.
The SPD sets out a framework for how development across the Gamston and Tollerton area could be brought forward. It does not grant planning permission.
The council had previously delayed a decision on the document in January after concerns were raised about the level of detail provided, including how pedestrians and cyclists would cross busy roads and how traffic would be managed.
Council leaders said the SPD would be used to help assess future planning applications, and that detailed matters would be considered through the planning process.
SNAG criticised the decision, arguing the document lacked sufficient detail.
Rushcliffe Borough Council identified land between Tollerton and Gamston for housing in its Local Plan in 2014.
The allocation was opposed at the time by Tollerton Parish Council, which raised concerns about the impact on countryside near the village.
In 2020, two developers submitted outline planning applications for separate parts of the wider site.
Outline applications seek agreement for the principle of development, with detailed matters usually dealt with later.
In 2022, developer Vistry bought the Nottingham City Airport land from Truman Aviation.
Vistry submitted its own plans for homes on that part of the site in March 2024.
The Save Nottingham City Airfield Group was formed around the same period.
In March 2025, Vistry told businesses operating at the airport that they would need to leave. The airport closed in June 2025.
Campaigners have also raised concerns about possible contamination on the site, including claims linked to wartime aircraft activity.
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Since the SPD was approved, developers and council officers have continued work on the planning applications.
For major schemes, applications are often amended during the process following responses from consultees, council officers and other interested parties.
Documents submitted for Vistry’s application show further material was provided in April, including an Environmental Statement Supplement, flood risk information, a landscape strategy and building height details.
Consultee responses have continued to be submitted, including from the East Midlands Combined County Authority and Tollerton Parish Council.
Rushcliffe Borough Council cabinet member Jonathan Wheeler, who voted in favour of adopting the SPD, has also raised concerns about the current plans.
He said in May: “I maintain my objection until there is a clear agreed highways plan for the entire Gamston/Tollerton site. I also want a clear schedule of when the community infrastructure will be built, agreed within the S106 plans.”
Campaign group legal challenge
SNAG has filed papers at the High Court seeking a judicial review of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s decision to approve the SPD.
The group has asked supporters to donate towards legal costs.
A judicial review would consider whether the council’s decision-making process was lawful. It would not decide the planning merits of the housing scheme itself.
The campaign group is expected to find out in the coming months whether the High Court will allow the case to proceed.
SNAG has also continued fundraising and awareness work locally, including at Tollerton summer fayre.
L-R: Peter Langridge, Lynda Crunkhorn, Kathryn Bull, Sarah Deacon and Robert Bush.
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The planning applications for the wider Gamston and Tollerton site remain under consideration.
Further amendments, consultee responses and negotiations over infrastructure are expected before any final decisions are made.
If planning permission is eventually granted, construction is not expected to begin for several years.
Recent estimates suggest building could start in 2028 at the earliest.
Opponents of the development continue to argue that the plans should not go ahead.
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