Plans for 760 new homes at Linby get the green light

Gedling Council’s planning committee met on September 26 to discuss the development near Top Wighay that will be known as Byron Park.

The project is being built by the Nottinghamshire Council within the Gedling Council boudaries at Linby, meaning it needed permission from the borough council.

However, the project has caused major controversy with the people of Hucknall as, although it is Gedling Council land, it is right on the border of Hucknall town centre and Hucknall residents say it will be their facilities, amenities and roads that Byron Park residents will use, putting even more pressure on Hucknall’s already over-stretched and creaking infrastructure.

In March 2022 the initial county council application sought 805 homes, land for employment, a local centre and a primary school.

The approved application relates to the layout, scale, landscaping and appearance of 763 homes on site.

The county council’s new headquarters building, Oak House, is currently still being developed near the proposed home development as a seperate project.

The estate will be split into distinct neighbourhoods, with smaller homes in the north, stone material homes around the centre and larger detached ‘semi-rural’ houses in the south to reflect Linby.

There will be a ‘clear hierarchy of roads’ around the site, according to planning documents, with a main road from the southern access at Wighay Road and connections through the site to Annesley Road to the west.

Land has also been kept for a potential future NET tram extension.

The main central play and park area is located at the centre of the site, including a multi-use games area, skate park, 9v9 sports pitches and table tennis tables.

Coun Sam Smith (Con) praised the skate park feature saying: “There’s teenagers across the borough crying out for skate parks, I am absolutely delighted this planning application comes with one.”

Coun Martin Smith (Con) expressed concern about the 9v9 football pitches included in the development.

Mark Avery, director of place said there had been previous difficulties in accommodating the original pitches, and that they were previously agreed by the committee, but noted Coun Smith’s comments.

Coun Martin Smith expressed his ‘sympathy’ for Linby and Pappelwick residents with inevitable increased traffic flow for the villages.

He said: “Peak times in both of those villages is horrendous and there is nothing I see in this scheme that mitigates against that, all I can see is the situation gets worse.”

The development includes two play areas, along with pedestrian and cycle routes being provided by a green ‘spine’ through the middle of the site.

For affordable rent homes, there will be four one-bedroom, 38 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom, eight four-bedroom and two five-bedroom properties and various wheelchair-adapted bungalows.

Linden Homes will build one phase of 288 homes, Bovis Homes will build158 homes and Countryside Partnerships two phases for a total 317 homes.

A primary school, delivered by the county council, will be built in a later phase.

Homes across the site would range from one-bed to five-bed houses.

The committee voted in favour of passing the development.

Further applications will be needed at a later stage to decide individual details of each phase of the development.