More houses set to be built at former Rolls-Royce land in Hucknall

More new houses will be built on former Rolls-Royce land in Hucknall after plans were approved today (June 26).
Houses are already being built at the site.Houses are already being built at the site.
Houses are already being built at the site.

Two different applications were unanimously given the green light today by Ashfield District Council’s planning committee.

The first includes 45 houses and two shops on nearby land off Hurricane Road. The second was for 120 homes off Watnall Road and Shepherd Street.

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The proposals form part of a 10-year plan for the site next to the current Rolls-Royce buildings, where some houses have already been built.

Houses are already being built at the site.Houses are already being built at the site.
Houses are already being built at the site.

However concerns were raised at the meeting about the local amenities the new estate would have.

Vaughan Gallagher spoke against the proposal, saying the land around the existing houses had not been properly maintained, with grass left unkept and a sales building “abandoned”.

He also said they had been repeatedly told a promised new bus route for the estate would be in place soon, but had still not materialised.

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He said: “The whole estate has become dowdy and not maintained to the condition we were led to believe it would be.

“Some residents have now lived on this site for two years, without any of the amenities that were agreed when they bought their houses. The community spirit is just not happening.”

Originally, an overall masterplan for the whole site had said there would be considerably more retail, office and food-retail space built, but almost none of this had come to fruition, apart from the two small shops approved today.

Dan Needham, who spoke on behalf of the applicants for one of the applications, said: “Demand within retail continues to decline.

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“In terms of the buses, we have been told it is due to start in late July, but we have been lobbying very hard for that, and it will be forthcoming in the very near future.”

Councillor Chris Baron, who represents the area for the Conservatives, defended the new estate.

He said: “It’s a lovely development. It’s well-kept and well maintained and if I lived there I would be very happy indeed.

“The play area is absolutely marvellous – there’s no two ways about it – and it was built before time, as well as the primary school which was built before they had to.

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“I am concerned that it’s far less (retail space) than the masterplan, but I think it’s the best for this site we can get now.”

The applicant for the first was Smith Muse Developments Limited, and the second applicant was Persimmon Homes and Muse Developments Ltd.