Kirkby housing scheme designed with homes for the ‘most vulnerable’ given the go ahead
Nearly 40 new homes have been given the go ahead to be built on the edge of Kirkby - and more than half are set for the ‘most vulnerable’.
Applicants Mr and Mrs Armstrong first applied to Ashfield Council in June 2023 for the homes to be built on a rectangular piece of land off Abbey Road at the eastern edge of the town.
Planning documents say the applicants have owned the land for around 40 years and previous plans for the patch saw 45 homes being proposed, with this reducing to 43 for better water drainage.
A mix of 38 properties were given the green light for the land on December 16 and plans have altered so more than half of the homes – 61 per cent – are made for ‘the most vulnerable individuals in the community’.
Documents say 12 assisted living properties will be built along with 11 retirement bungalows, with the remaining 15 units being standard detached homes.
In a 2023 planning document, it states the council projected 2,463 homes with support and 948 properties with care will be needed within the 18 years from when the plans were first submitted.
Within that time scale, Ashfield’s older person population was projected to increase by 37.8 per cent in over-65s which compares with overall population growth of 10.6 per cent and a small increase of 4.8 per cent for under-65s.
Those living with dementia were projected to rise by 64.5 per cent and those with mobility problems by 55 per cent.
Plans say the proposals will help deliver the appropriate homes to in-need members of the community which will help ‘negate the need for residential care’.
Papers say: “A nature trail has been incorporated around the water detention basin, which will be landscaped to provide a natural environment, encouraging wildlife within the northeastern corner of the built development.
“This will allow occupiers to enjoy nature within their home surroundings and a tranquil place to sit or walk, instilling a sense of community that endeavours to help with reducing feelings of isolation and softening the overall impact of the development in the immediate and wider landscape.”
Several local residents have objected to the proposals, with many concerned about increased traffic in the area.
One wrote: “With cul-de-sacs in the area, parking is at a premium so roads are used extensively already for parking, there is no room for more traffic through areas into new developments and will be used as rat runs.