'˜Promised Clipstone pub, bus route and shops aren't our responsibility', developer tells thousands of residents

A furious dad has hit out at housing developers, after they have left his development with no bus service or park.

Paul Jones bought his house on Cavendish way, Clipstone, from housing developer Taylor Wimpey.

He was promised that the housing development, which is partly built by Taylor Wimpey, and part by Persimmon Homes, would include a park, a pub, and a bus service, but these have not materialised.

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Paul said: “There are currently around a thousand houses now, with no shops and no transport connections. Enough is enough, I think the priority should be to provide items for current residents not build more houses.”

He added: “We were promised all these things when we bought our house. The park was supposed to be built in 2017, and my daughter has nowhere to play. She just wants a park to play in. I’m furious and no-one seems to care.”

Currently residents have to take their car to leave the area, as it is 1.6 miles to the nearest shop and 1.3 miles to a bus stop.

Neil Follows, managing director at Persimmon Homes Nottingham, said: “As part of our planning obligation we are required to deliver the play area at our development in Clipstone.

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“We have recently had access to this land and following a satisfactory clearance, by our ecologist, we will begin re-modelling the ground. We are working towards commencing the work in late summer with the installation of the play equipment thereafter.

“The delivery of the bus route, shops and other infrastructure comes under the responsibility of the original land owner.”

Councillor Paul Peacock of Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “Karl Beresford, the Chair of Clipstone Parish Council and I have been working with Newark and Sherwood District Council for over eight months, unpicking a very complicated legal situation about the obligation to provide a play park. It is, however, community action that has prompted the developer to begin work and the local community deserve the credit for that. Karl and I will continue to press the developer and will only be happy when it is available for local children to use. At the same time we are working to find solutions in regard to providing much needed services in the area including buses, shops and community facilities.”

Mark Spencer, Newark and Sherwood MP said that the council have been working closely with Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey to determine when the park will be built.

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He said: “I’m aware that the kids have nowhere to go and nothing to do, and we have taken quite a lot of time to find out whose job it is to erect the play park, and put pressure on them to get it built.”

He added that Nottinghamshire County Council and a local bus service have been working closely with Newark and Sherwood Council, and that a bus service for the area was “close to finalising.”