An Arnold resident says she will consider moving out of the area if more open space near her home disappears after the borough council accepted plans for a 40-home development.
Applicant Strata Homes will build the development on land off Killisick Lane, Arnold, after Gedling Borough Council gave the final go-ahead.
The council granted the proposals on Wednesday (December 11), although they were recommended for approval during the council’s planning committee meeting on June 5. The application remained undecided on the planning portal until this week.
The homes will be a mixture of 14 three-bedroom houses and 31 five-bedroom houses, with most being detached and some featuring separate garages.
The new site will be accessed from the south, from Strathmore Road, where an existing road currently terminates. This will be extended to accommodate the new homes.
The homes will border an existing housing area to the south, and their character will be similar, forming what has been described as a “locally inspired scheme,” according to planning documents.
The land to the north-northwest of the site is allocated for housing, with Dorket Head Quarry beyond that.
Killisick Lane, a public bridleway, sits to the west of the site and allows people to walk towards Hobbucks Local Nature Reserve.
A public consultation for the homes received 39 letters, of which 26 objected to the proposals. Reasons for objection included the impact on nearby roads, the loss of green space, the loss of recreational space for dog walking, and harm to wildlife.
A nearby resident who lives off Coppice Road, around a 10-minute walk from the site, shared her opinions on the development but asked to remain anonymous.
She regularly walks her dog on the fields near Hobbucks Nature Reserve.
She said: “I don’t see the nature reserve bit of it as different to the field bit of it.
“Losing those fields – people like dog walkers will be in a more concentrated space. It works as a space for the community.
“Slowly hacking the fields off feels a little bit like ‘we’ll leave the nature reserve, we’ll leave you a tree.’”
She said that if the fields by the nature reserve are taken up by development, she will “actually think about leaving” the area.
She called the open space “life-saving” during lockdown, as it gave people the chance to easily access fresh air and natural space.
The resident also spoke of the shared “sadness and confusion” of nearby residents over the proposed development, where it is unclear how much of the open space will be lost in future developments.
The three-bedroom homes are proposed to have two off-street parking spaces, while the larger five-bedroom homes will have space for three cars.
Each residence will be provided with a charging point for electric vehicles.
New pedestrian and cycle links will be created to allow residents better integration and accessibility to open space.
Nine of the homes will be affordable, in line with council objectives, and will be spread across the development.
Just over half of the homes will be 2.5 storeys high, as they will have bedrooms in the roof, while the rest will be two storeys.
Open and green space will feature alongside the development’s entrance.
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