Plans for 118 new homes approved in Sutton as developers agree to fund primary school places

The proposed site for the new homes is at the rear of 249 and 251 in Alfreton Road and planning permission was granted by Ashfield District Council on Friday October 27.

Under a section 106 agreement, which is drafted when it is considered a development will have a significant impact on an area, Gleeson’s Regeneration Ltd will pay the council more than £600,000 for improvements in the local area.

The payment will include a education contribution of £289,333 which will be spent on creating 25 additional school places at Mapplewells Primary School and the provision of education facilities at secondary schools close to the development.

Mapplewells Primary School, on Henning Lane, had criticised this report and said the school is currently at “full operating capacity” and the development would have a “huge impact” as it is already oversubscribed due to it’s Outstanding Ofsted rating.

In a letter submitted to Ashfield District Council in August it said if the development goes ahead it would “push out more children who already live in the catchment area , who would then have to attend a primary school outside their current catchment area.”

Of this figure, £204,000 could be spent on improvements to Sutton Old Market Place, Albert Square and Portland Square while £102,000 will be spent on play areas.

The development will include two, three, and four bedroom, terraced, semi-detached and detached homes.

Gleeson Regeneration Ltd must also provide at least 24 affordable homes.

Developers already had outline permission to build the homes on the land, which was granted in 2014.

The 4.18-hectares site is just a mile from the town centre, and has two fields currently used for agricultural purposes.