A developer has appealed to the Government after plans for 100 homes near Hucknall were rejected.
Ashfield District Council turned down plans for 100 homes off Common Lane, in an area known locally as Misk Hills, in 2023 due to concerns over the impact on the greenbelt.
Aldergate Properties Ltd, the developer, resubmitted its proposals in 2024.
It has now appealed to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate over the “non-determination” of the plans, the council says.
At a planning committee meeting on September 10, councillors will discuss plans to defend their decision at a hearing for the appeal.
The authority says: “The proposal is considered to constitute an inappropriate form of development within the greenbelt, which is harmful to the fundamental aims and purposes of greenbelt policy, which seeks to safeguard the countryside from urban sprawl and encroachment to maintain the openness and permanence of the greenbelt.
“The substantial weight given to protecting the greenbelt from harm is not outweighed by any other matters, and thus the very special circumstances required to allow the development does not outweigh this harm.
“The proposal also fails to protect and enhance this locally valued mature landscape.”
Michelle Welsh (Lab), the area’s MP, has also objected to the plans.
In planning documents she said: “Misk Hills is of national importance and of great beauty. The development of the site would be harmful to the character of the area and visual impact.
“I am supportive of building new and affordable homes, but Hucknall has had
more than its fair share.”
Hucknall residents have been campaigning for several years to protect the town’s green spaces following the publication of the council’s emerging housing strategy in 2021.
The draft plan initially included 3,000 homes on the greenbelt at Whyburn Farm.
The developer’s planning agents said a number of recent planning appeal decisions had supported its project, which includes 81 homes on greenbelt land in nearby Jacksdale.
Planners for the company accused the council of having a “poor record” on delivering the housing numbers needed and said it had not released enough land from the greenbelt, unlike other local authorities in Nottinghamshire.
If the Planning Inspectorate sides with the developer, the council may be forced to pay its appeal costs.
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