Second council approves 235-home plan on Mansfield-Ashfield border

The development will be built on the outskirts of Mansfield at Cauldwell Road, directly across from West Nottinghamshire College.

The plans have already been approved in March by Ashfield Council’s planning committee.

The land, at the former Rushley Farm area, is primarily within the Ashfield district, but a small corner in the northwest sits in Mansfield.

Now Mansfield Council’s planning committee has approved the same plans to allow the development to come forward.

The Conservative-led county council submitted the proposals alongside its contractor Arc Partnership. The authority owns the land and plans to use it for housing, with money from a future developer to go into the council’s budget.

When both councils discussed and approved the plans, a number of conditions were placed on the development.

This included requests for significant financial contributions to mitigate the impact of the new homes on both Mansfield and Ashfield.

During discussions at the Ashfield Council meeting in March, councillors called for the majority of these contributions to be directed to their district.

This included £14,356.03 to fund a new recycling centre in either Mansfield or Ashfield, as well as £8,288 for library improvements.

Other contributions include 20 per cent affordable housing for the wider 235-home development, which is expected to be split 205-30 between Ashfield and Mansfield.

About £1,100 per home is to be requested for off-site open space, with £83,728 for bus stop improvements and £249,687.50 for healthcare.

Speaking during Mansfield Council’s planning committee meeting on June 12, one councillor asked how the contributions will be split between the districts.

Coun Jack Stephenson, member for Market Warsop, said: “The majority of the land is in Ashfield, but there are a number of items where we’re asking for money from the development to go into Mansfield Library, with various other things.

“I assume Ashfield Council want it to be for them, we want it to be for us.

“What sort of negotiations will there be, and what guarantees will there be, that if we go forward with this, we will get the funding for Mansfield?

“It will be the majority of Mansfield facilities and existing buildings being used, as there are not a lot of amenities around the Ashfield border.”

A council planning officer said: “Ashfield councillors did resolve that some of the items should go to their infrastructure.

“On the back of that, we did go to the county council and – for libraries – they have provided comments it should go to Mansfield Central Library.

“We see no reason to come away from that as there’s no evidence it should go to Kirkby Library.”

Martyn Saxon, Mansfield Council head of planning, said: “It’s an unusual situation, but the bottom line is any contributions have to be related to the development.

“The development is closest to Mansfield and the services of people who would live there would be in Mansfield, therefore, the contribution should come to Mansfield and the agreement requires that.”

Mansfield councillors unanimously supported the scheme.