A controversial new housing development in West Bridgford which saw 80 residents declare their disapproval is set to move closer to completion.
The development is on a former Rushcliffe Borough Council depot site in Abbey Road, which was used to store council vehicles and recyclables including glass bottles.
Outline planning permission was granted in September 2019 for the demolition of existing buildings, the residential development and access points from Abbey Road and Buckfast Way.
The second part of the proposal will be discussed at a planning meeting on Thursday, October 14.
Approval will be sought for the appearance, landscaping, layout, and the scale of residential development comprising of 71 new homes.
Of those 71 new homes, 21 will be affordable, 16 of which will be apartments and five shared ownership two bedroom houses.
Cllr Penny Gowland (Lab) has objected to the development raising a number of concerns including the potential loss of light for neighbouring properties.
She added: “Parking and traffic is a significant problem in this area because of the two schools. The additional cars from the new estate risk gridlock.
“We need subtle traffic calming on Abbey and Buckfast, yellow lines and parking monitoring on Abbey and Buckfast, a zebra crossing on Abbey and probably we will need traffic lights on Davies Road.”
Eighty residents in the area had also objected to the outline planning application including comments such as ‘houses should be built somewhere else in West Bridgford’ and describing the scheme as ‘ill thought-out’ and ‘one that has already caused outrage in the community’.
Some residents called it “an overdevelopment” and said important trees would be destroyed as well as the loss of the Victorian Pump House which sat on the site.
Central West Bridgford Community Association also described the proposal as on a “overwhelming scale in comparison to existing residences and would constitute a loss of amenity to those living here.”
The council’s planning officers said the development site is “a significant brownfield area within a sustainable location in the principal urban area of West Bridgford.”
They state: “It is considered that the proposed development has been designed to ensure that it would not result in any significant overbearing, overlooking or overshadowing impact on neighbouring residential amenity due to the scale of the properties.
“Therefore, having taken the above information into account, it is considered that the proposed development would not result in an incongruous or inappropriate form of development. Overall, the scale, layout and design of the development proposal is considered acceptable and will not have an adverse impact on the area or adjacent occupiers.”
Council officers have recommended the application is granted. Councillors will make the final decision at a planning meeting on Thursday, October 14.
