Plans for hundreds of Awsworth homes set for green light

Housebuilder Avant Homes applied to Broxtowe Council last summer to build 250 homes at Whitehouse Farm, Shilo Way, Awsworth.

Outline planning permission for the wider scheme has already been granted, with the current and more detailed plans initially discussed in February.

However, members of the authority’s planning committee deferred the proposals to seek further information on the impact on residential amenities and access for construction vehicles.

Now the plans are due before the same committee again – and again have been recommended for approval by council officers.

The authority says the applicant has submitted amended plans to improve the residential amenity of a neighbouring property, while a construction management plan has also been submitted, indicating building traffic will access via Shilo Way if the scheme is approved.

However, the developer says a temporary access point for heavy-goods vehicles will also be created via Newtons Lane during parts of construction.

The authority’s planning department believes these added documents are enough to warrant approving the scheme. The committee was expected to meet on March 8 to discuss the plans, which include a mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, with 20 per cent – 50 homes – to be marketed as affordable.

When outline plans were first put forward for the 10-acre site, concerns were raised about the existing Whitehouse Farm building, but this has since been demolished.

Further concerns were also raised about how the new development will be integrated into the small Broxtowe village.

Coun Michael Smith, Awsworth Parish Council vice-chairman, said last summer: “There’s no easy way to integrate 250 new homes with the existing village, in particular the housing estate which is on the edge of the site. It is difficult and we have our own issues with access.”

A further 47 letters of objection were submitted to the council, with concerns including the loss of greenfield land, views and wildlife, the impact on schools, doctors and dentists and highways safety.​​​​​​​ Other concerns include traffic, over-development, excessive housing density and the loss of privacy and light.