Council says its taking enforcement action against untidy housing site in Kimberley

The former Hardys & Hansons Brewery in Kimberley first started being redeveloped into housing by developer Fairgrove in 2015, which expressed its vision of providing high-quality homes inside buildings, including the old kiln stores and Grade II-listed maltings.

The development is currently partly occupied and remains under construction.

The leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance), visited the site in September after being told homeowners were fed up with the uncleanliness and untidiness at the development.

He was also told drainage issues had caused a rat problem.

At the time, Fairgrove had been served with an interim order to improve the site’s condition with the threat of enforcement action if the issues weren’t resolved by September 13.

Recyclable materials have been removed from an unbuilt area of the development as part of tidying efforts – but the council says enforcement action is being taken as “further works are required”.

A Broxtowe Borough Council document, dated November 12, outlines that the site’s owners must “clear large amounts of rubbish and building waste from the currently undeveloped land on the lower site”.

Speaking to the local democracy reporting service (LDRS), Coun Radulovic said: “There were roof trusses propped up against protected trees. The site gives the general appearance of being untidy – I know they’ve made efforts.

“It looks untidy, it looks messy, likely to be potentially dangerous.

“It’s a quality development, I want to stress that, there are no problems with the housing – it’s these little things that make the general appearance very untidy.”

Fairgrove says the site has suffered from fly-tipping since its efforts to clean up the area.

A Fairgrove spokesperson said in a statement to the LDRS: “There was a complaint to the council of rubbish which was accepted and removed.

“There are also materials stored and since then we have been the subject of fly tipping which had not initially been spotted.

“We have informed the council that we will now deal with the fly tipping but the balance is materials which will remain.”

Concerns were also previously raised over the proposed sale of the site’s unfinished brewery tower. However, the new report states it was sold prior to auction, on September 24.

“We are now in contact with the proposed new owners, to discuss their plans for the tower and discuss their obligations in the 106 agreements,” the report states.

“Building control are continuing to monitor the tower and are also in contact with the proposed new owners.”

Under the agreement, the tower must be repaired by November 5, 2026.