'Emotional' victory for Eastwood campaigners as plans for 240-home development rejected

The proposed plans, which were turned down by Broxtowe Council’s planning committee last night, December 7, would have seen homes built on a number of fields between Chewton Street, Eastwood, and the A610 bypass, which also backs on to Wyvern Close, Commons Close and Halls Lane.

The southern and western boundaries of these fields border a former unlicensed Eastwood landfill site, known as ‘Matkin’s Tip’. The landfill, on the site of a former clay quarry, was in operation between 1972 and 1985.

A number of previous planning applications for development on the site have been refused for various reasons relating to the land’s former use, with a geo-environmental assessment report in 2007 recording high levels of toxic metals within the soil and on adjacent land.

A campaign group was formed by residents concerned that if the land was disturbed during development, the toxicity from the site may have been released into the air and potentially caused health problems and other adverse effects.

The plans had been recommended for approval by council planning officers, but were unanimously rejected by the committee.

Sarah Bainbridge, a member of the Common Residents Action Group, which helped fight the plans, said: “I personally wasn’t expecting it to be refused, so the unanimous vote against was unbelievable.

“It was a very emotional evening for all of us. Every councillor voted for a refusal and spoke out against it. We all sat there with tears in our eyes.

“We’re just blown away and still in shock at how smoothly it went.

“There’s also been a call for a public enquiry as to what was actually put into Matkin’s Tip in the 1970s, so that will go to goverment hopefully at the beginning of next year to investigate. It will hopefully mean this land will never be built on. This land needs to be left alone forever.”

People power

The application for 251 homes was initially put forward to the council by developer Gleeson Homes last year, but was met with objections from hundreds of residents.

The plans were then amended, scaled down to 244 homes, and resubmitted to the council, to be considered again this month.

However, residents were determined to do everything in their power to stop the build going ahead, culminating in a moving objection statement at last night’s meeting.

CRAG thanked everyone for their efforts.

A spokesman for the action group said: “Thank you to everyone who put in an objection letter over the past two years. Thank you to all the local councillors who stood together without politics and spoke without reservation about the dangers this site possesses to the community.

“Thank you to all those who attended the meetings and kept the faith.”

A CRAG member said: “It’s great news, for our future and safety of us all. Thank you to those who pushed and pushed to make this happen.”