More than 200 more homes planned on busy Ashfield road – where 320 houses already on the way

Marrons Planning has submitted the housing plan for Beck Lane, Skegby, close to where a further 322 homes will be built on nearby farmland.

The area has been subject to significant controversy after the 322-home development was initially refused by Ashfield Council in 2018 – only for the decision to be overturned by Government inspectors.

Previous concerns were raised about the impact on infrastructure in Skegby, particularly around Beck Lane, with fears the road network, doctors and schools will not be able to cope with hundreds more homes.

Now the same concerns have been relayed again after the separate plans mean the total number of new homes in Beck Lane could exceed 550.

The new land, next to Ashland Farm, has been earmarked for housing in the council’s draft local plan, which is expected to be submitted to the Government and in force by December 2023.

Last week, Marrons submitted an environmental assessment to the council and is asking the authority to provide a planning opinion before it brings further documents forward.

No concrete proposals for house numbers, design or layout are yet to be proposed by the developer at this stage.

The company’s early plans have led to concern from Coun Will Bostock, member for Skegby.

He said: “I have huge concerns about the number of potential developments in the gridlocked Beck Lane area.

“We will be calling this application in for further scrutiny by the council planning committee, as our infrastructure is struggling to cope as it is.”

He said he wants to see money put in to fund ‘extra school places, public transport investments or fixing Skegby’s broken roads and pavements’.

It comes after Nottinghamshire Council confirmed plans last month to sell off about 11.5 acres of surplus land on Beck Lane.

A ‘preferred party’ had been found for the land, considered by the authority to have ‘development potential’, in a deal worth at least £1 million.

Matt Neal, county council service director for investment and growth, said: “The council is committed to working towards the healthy, prosperous and greener future our communities deserve, as outlined in our Nottinghamshire Plan.

“This includes getting homes built in our county and the council has developed a land sales programme for residential developments to help achieve this.

“The land at Beck Lane is vacant, surplus to council requirements and has the potential to provide homes.

“Any potential purchaser of the land would still need to go through a proper planning process, which would consider every point of view before coming to a decision.”

In its papers submitted to Ashfield Council, Marrons said: “The proposals will seek to retain key landscape elements in order to help assimilate the proposals into the wider area.

“This will include the provision of landscaping that works with the development and breaks up views of it, including from Beck Lane/Abbott Road and from agricultural land to the east.

“It also includes the retention of hedgerows and hedgerow trees wherever possible [and] the retention of the existing farm building and the immediately surrounding area, including existing vegetation.”