New homes will be built on land that has been left to grow into a wasteland.
Plans have been approved for the construction of 16 three-bed homes on land between Wilford Grove and Mundella Road in The Meadows, Nottingham.
A primary school once stood on the site before it was demolished, and the land was most recently occupied by a warehouse.
Mundella Road Play Area will be kept, and plans state that more car parking space will be provided for the nearby Premier store in Wilford Grove.
It is understood that the plans were submitted by the current occupier of the convenience store, Rajinderpal Singh Grewal.
Mundella Road resident Tuva Brown, 68, said he had attended the school before its closure.
“As long as the windows are not facing this way into my bedroom, it might be better than what is there,” he said.
“Residents have been moaning about it. It is not well-kept. It has got like that over the last 15 to 20 years. It has gone wild.”
Similarly, Mohammad Ajaz, who has lived in Wilford Grove for 22 years, added: “It’s a good development; we welcome the homes.”
However, another resident of Mundella Road, who has lived there for 20 years, said he feared the design of the new homes was “out of character” for the area.
The area consists of three-storey Victorian terraced housing, which is tightly laid out on a grid of streets.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said parking had also become a significant problem in the area.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said.
“It was maintained in the initial years, but it has become ridiculous. It has lowered the quality of life on the street.
“The park next to it is used as a dossing area. There has been fly-tipping. It is nice to see the butterflies using it as their habitat, but it is a mess.
“It has surprised me that it is going to be [built] in that format. It would have been better if the houses were similar in design to what is here. They look like flats. It could change the character of the area.
“They could have made use of it as a community space to improve community cohesion.”
A planning statement concludes that the development “is in a highly sustainable location where walking, cycling and use of public transport will be encouraged.”
The statement says the scheme will provide a mix of configurations of family homes, thus contributing to the housing priorities for the area, while the construction of well-designed new dwellings “will make a positive contribution towards the appearance of the area.”
Additional parking for the shop, to include parking for disabled people and servicing space, will also reduce pressure on surrounding roads, the statement adds.
Work on the scheme must now begin within three years.
Financial contributions, including a sum of £173,844.80 for affordable housing and £48,052.50 towards education opportunities and improvements, must also be paid by the developer.
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
