Planners defer Bolsover housing scheme decision following community funding dispute
Planning chiefs at Bolsover District Council have agreed to defer a decision on a controversial village housing scheme following a dispute over community funding.
The decision comes after the developer’s attempt to be spared from meeting all of its community funding and affordable housing contributions were met with objections.
Forge New Homes applied to vary an agreement with its approved scheme for 49 homes on land off Park Avenue and Blacksmiths Close, near Mansfield Road, in Glapwell, on the grounds a full community funding agreement was no longer viable.
It comes just seven days after it had been formally granted conditional planning permission on reserved matters relating to landscaping.
The council’s planning committee reconsidered the application on October 28 based on the applicant’s viability concerns but after receiving objections from Derbyshire County Council and the public to the developer’s attempt to avoid paying full contributions towards education and the community, the committee agreed to defer the matter to a later date so it can be reviewed.
Coun Phil Smith said: “I welcome this, particularly based on the financial viability. I personally think we consider the planning terms and we consider whether we agree or disagree on planning grounds. And now we have another dimension – we have its viability.
“So I really welcome this challenge and I hope this will set a precedent going forward… If they cannot uphold the conditions, the whole planning should be withdrawn.”
Forge’s original obligations under a legal agreement included providing affordable housing amounting to ten per cent of the scheme’s properties.
It had also agreed to pay £227,996 to Derbyshire County Council for The Bolsover School, £40,964 towards children’s play equipment, £48,755 towards outdoor sports facilities, one per cent of the development cost towards the provision of public art, and £3,750 Travel Plan monitoring.
But following an independent review, the council indicated it would consider accepting a reduced S106 payment from the applicant of £168,000.
And after negotiations the council also confirmed that just two affordable units for social rent and an additional £85,000 towards other affordable housing in the district would be agreeable.
However, Derbyshire County Council stated that a reduced contribution of £177,330.23 would at least still be required towards education in line with the original scheme’s reduced number of homes from 62 to 49.
A county council spokesperson said: “Where development generates additional demand for school places and existing capacity is insufficient, such contributions are necessary to mitigate the impact of development and ensure that it remains acceptable in planning terms.”
Glapwell Parish Council, Bolsover District Councillor Tom Kirkham, the district council’s leisure services and its arts officer have also objected to Forge’s application to alter its S106 agreement along with nine objections from the community.
Coun Kirkham said: “As a councillor for this ward when the original planning was passed it was stated in arguments to approve the plans that the S106 money is a significant reason to approve them. If this money was not part of the argument the outcome could have been different.”
Glapwell Town Council also objected to the scheme on the grounds that it would be on a greenfield site, involve increased traffic and access issues, pose sewerage concerns, a strain on education and healthcare infrastructure, and would alter the nature of the village whilst arguing it would deliver no economic benefits for the community.