Residents fight ‘obliteration’ of green space and wildlife amid Ashfield Council’s controversial development plans

Consultation is under way on Ashfield Council’s local plan, which sets out where 8,226 homes will be built between now and 2038.

The document has received a hostile response from some people in the district, with concerns raised over the loss of green land and its impact on existing communities.

The council has hooked the plan on two major settlements, with 3,000 homes planned on greenbelt in Whyburn Farm, Hucknall, and a further 1,000 in Cauldwell Road, Sutton.

Laura Gapski, owner of Bright Sparks Private Day Nursery, which backs onto the Sutton site from its Derby Road base, has launched a fight against the scheme.

She believes the plans would impact her own and nearby businesses and affect the wellbeing of residents, and is calling for the plan to be changed.

She said: “We had a meeting a couple of weeks back, and local residents and businesses feel quite betrayed by the Ashfield Independents.

“They keep suggesting there are no other spaces, all the brownfield sites have been exhausted and they have to build on green space. We see them using any available green space where they have a landowner willing to sell to them.

“It’s going to cause tremendous business disruption to us, to Coxmoor Golf Club and to Sherwood Observatory, and disruption for local people.

“Residents are lobbying together to petition, object, and meet with local councillors to express disappointment and concerns over the plan.

“It can’t happen here, and it’s not going to happen here.”

She has also set up a Facebook group, named Residents and Businesses Against Cauldwell Road Development, which has already attracted hundreds of supporters.

The group is calling for people to write to the council and sign an e-petition, which has already attracted 500 signatures.

Laura said “The Local Plan will obliterate the area, and the greenfield site surrounding my nursery and home. It means the loss of clean air for our under fives, and their connection with their local wildlife and environment,

“It will affect the preservation of Cauldwell fishing dam, the Coxmoor Golf Course, and Hamilton Hill, sites of historic and archaeological interest.

“Others have expressed concerns over the destruction of water courses, affecting fish, newts, herons, and other species.

“Anyone can object, whether they live in Ashfield or not. It is important people share their comments by signing the petition and also sharing their views of the local plan with the council.

The local plan sets out how the district will develop over the next 15 years in terms of housing, employment, transport, environment and infrastructure

A statutory requirement, it sets out an initial blueprint on how Ashfield should develop until 2038.

Members of the Ashfield Angling Club, which owns the Cauldwell Dam fishery have also raised concerns about the Cauldwell Road site.

Jason Humphries, a club member, said: “I believe it would adversely affect the environment, would impact several endangered and protected species and present a significant risk to watercourses and the Cauldwell Dam fishery.

Ian Smith said “There are 2,000 or so members of Ashfield Angling Club, who like me have a valid interest in this issue.”

The leader of Ashfield Council, Coun Jason Zadrozny, has admitted the plan is ‘controversial’, due to the number of greenfield sites allocated for housing, and pledged to pause progress once the initial consultation period ends in two weeks,

Changes

Coun Matthew Relf, the cabinet member responsible for the local plan, said he expects there to be changes following the consultation.

He said: “The process we’ve followed has been about bringing infrastructure, in terms of new schools, healthcare facilities, and we’ve rigorously evaluated sites fairly.

“That said, this is a consultation and is not, by any means, a finalised local plan.

“I’m sure there are going to be many things fed back to us in this consultation that will highlight things missed by our approach.

“We absolutely will be looking at every response to this consultation, and I fully expect there will be changes made.”

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