A former Nottinghamshire pit village will expand by even more houses than had originally been planned after proposals were narrowly pushed through by just one vote.
Homes for Honey’s plans for 133 new properties, off Kestrel Rise in Rainworth, scraped through Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee by just one vote.
Rainworth first began its significant expansion back in the early 1900s after Rufford Colliery opened in 1911.
As the coal pit prospered and the workers and their families needed housing, the village expanded by around 400 homes.
The homes, off Kirklington Road, were painted white, and the area became known as White City.
Decades later, the village is increasing in size once again, with the area having been allocated for housing by the council.
The master plan for the site had been for 190 homes, and 160 of these have already been built on the western side.
While this would have left 30 homes in need of construction, Homes for Honey submitted plans for 133 through more efficient use of the land.
As such, residents and councillors had been objecting to what had been described as an “over-intensive” development.
Speaking on behalf of Rainworth Parish Council at the meeting on Thursday (2 July), Cllr Claire Penny said: “I understand this is an allocated housing site, and I understand that it is already approved.
“The issue for me is whether this scheme in particular is acceptable in planning terms, and in my view it is not.”
She said the scale and intensity of the development were well above what residents had been told to expect, owing to a 103-home uplift, on land considered to be the gateway into the village.
“Members are being asked to accept a much more intensive scheme, more than residents had reasonably been asked to expect,” she added.
The application had been deferred by the planning committee on 4 June over the absence of footpath access to Rainworth Parish Council-owned green space to the north of the site, as well as the lack of suitable parking.
The council said the parking did not meet its standards, largely due to the tandem parking arrangements put forward for six of the 133 plots, leading to on-street spaces being offered.
Both Cllr Linda Tift (Lab) and Cllr Sue Saddington (Con) said cars parked on a highway “cannot be right in this day and age”.
They said the developer was pushing its luck with the number of homes and that it had “compromised parking arrangements”.
Cllr Saddington added: “I’m afraid it is greed, and that too many houses have been put in, leaving a lack of parking.”
The applicant’s agent, Greg Sharman, said the footpath concerns had been addressed, with access to Preston Road playing fields added.
Meanwhile, the parking arrangements have been considered acceptable by all relevant authorities under the circumstances.
“Since your last committee, we have carefully reviewed those matters, and the application returns to you today supported by revisions and further clarification, which I believe demonstrates those concerns have been fully considered and appropriately addressed,” Mr Sharman said.
Council officers said the application density is still below policy requirements and that the applicant has done extensive vehicle tracking, prompting no concerns in terms of the layout of roads and access for larger vehicles.
A rejection of the scheme would leave the council vulnerable on appeal, officers added.
At the vote, five councillors voted to approve the scheme, while five voted against it.
One councillor abstained, leaving a stalemate.
Cllr David Moore (Ind), who was sitting as chair and therefore held the casting vote, decided to approve the scheme.
On top of the new homes in Rainworth, developer Harworth Group tabled its plans for 400 new homes at Rufford Colliery in October last year.
The site could also feature a data centre, upgrades to the A617, and “protection for established species and habitats”.
By Lauren Monaghan, Local Democracy Reporter