Plans unveiled for 180 affordable homes on contaminated land

Miller Homes and Futures Housing Group are looking to build 180 homes off Stanley Street, Somercotes.

Outline approval was given to the project by a Government planning inspector at appeal in 2020, following refusal from Amber Valley Council, and now the firms are seeking to approve the final details.

The new application says the site would include 10 two-bedroom bungalows, 57 two-bedroom houses, 104 three-bedroom houses and nine four-bed houses.

Of these, 90 would be available for affordable rent – 80 per cent of the local market rate – and 90 would be shared ownership, in which buyers purchase a portion of the property and rent the rest.

The Stanley Street is widely known to be extensively contaminated with investigations carried out on behalf of several housing companies over the past decade, with Gladman hiring RSK to conduct studies as part of the outline approval for the site.

RSK had found the homes would have to be built on suspended floors to avoid the widespread risks presented by harmful substances on the site, which could lead to harm, explosions and death.

It extends towards two historic landfill sites known was LS01 and LS41, the first of which had been the site of toxic waste deposits across several decades.

Harmful substances linked to waste deposited in the site have been identified as leaching from the historic landfills into the surrounding area.

Miller Homes instructed ground investigation firm GRM Development Solutions to carry out further investigations as a result of the harmful substances found by RSK and the conditions of the outline approval which require further studies before work starts.

GRM confirms gas protection measures would be required on site and says gas monitoring is still being carried out.

A report submitted by Miller Homes as part of the application says: “This proposals seek to add to the character of Somercotes and respect the local distinctiveness.

“The design proposal creates feature areas unique to the scheme, but also reflect the identity of the local vicinity.

“The proposals aim to make the most efficient use of land appropriate to the nature and setting of the site.

“The scheme is landscape led. Hedgerows and trees are largely retained and field boundaries and a series of green spaces and corridors have been proposed to create attractive features within the development.”

The firm says it aims to start work on site in the second half of 2023.

Meanwhile, a statement from estate agent Savills says the scheme would result in more than £1 million being paid by the developer for improvements to schools, health facilities, travel, play areas and sports facilities.

A Government inspector approved the 180-home scheme in November 2020.

The council has confirmed thousands of tonnes of toxic materials were dumped in the LS01 tip from 1948 until the 1970s completely unchecked.

During this period, the council said “local authorities had no information on the wastes being deposited on site”.

Of the Stanley Street site, RSK said toxic dioxins and furans – cancer-causing chemicals used in industrial processes – have been found, the extent of which, it said, “remains unknown”.