House-building policies criticised as plans are submitted for 39 homes

Applicants hoping to build homes in Mansfield claim the council's housing policies are '˜out-of-date' as they push for planning permission.

More than 39 homes are being planned for a former paddock off High Oakham Hill and an application has been submitted to Mansfield District Council’s planning department.

In a statement prepared on behalf of the applicants Carl Chadwick and John Plant, they point to previous applications that were rejected by the council, but overturned on appeal.

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These include the 130 homes on Park Hall Farm and homes north of Skegby Lane.

As a result, their statement reads: “Mansfield District Council is unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites and that the anticipated rate of delivery over the next five years is unrealistic.

“The majority of relevant policies in the development plan are out-of-date.

“The land is in dual ownership and with both parties keen to deliver the development.

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“It will provide a modest increase in the population that will ultimately lead to an increase in spending power in the local area.”

Each year Mansfield District Council releases its Housing Monitoring Report to explain the authority’s position in terms of dwelling supply and a status report on homes already in the pipeline.

The council suggests that the annual requirement of homes was 391. However, the applicants say it is evident through the successful appeals of previous applications that this is not the case.

Sitting on the southern edge of the town, the land off High Oakham Hill has no planning history and is currently unused.

It was previously used as a paddock to graze horses.

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More than 2.25 hectares in size, it backs on to a number of homes.

Although there is no indication as to how many bedrooms each of the homes could have if given the green light, then applicants have said it will be mainly two-storey homes with a few three-storey properties.

Almost 20 per cent would be classed as affordable, and vehicular access is planned onto High Oakham Hill from the south-eastern edge of the site.