Clowne plan is scrapped

Bolsover District Council originally removed the development from its core strategy - the document that sets out the authorities vision for the future of the district over the next 20 years - back in December last year.

But Derbyshire-based developers Waystone provided new evidence on the proposal and the council agreed to reconsider the inclusion of the development in its plans.

The proposal involved up to 85 hectares of land on the north edge of Clowne and would have seen a mix of housing, employment, leisure and community facilities as well as a new road network to link the site to the rest of the town.

The scheme was considered by the council’s planning committee for inclusion in the core strategy, but members still had a number of concerns.

Councillors were worried about the site’s connectivity with the existing town and had doubts over the feasibility of funding and implementing all the infrastructure the development would require.

They were also concerned about and the lack of a ‘demonstrable need’ for such a large scheme of employment and housing in the location.

As a result of those concerns the planning committee decided the site should not be included in the core strategy.

Speaking after the meeting, planning committee chairman, Coun Dennis Kelly said: “Although there are benefits to the proposal, we have concerns over the infrastructure needed, and whether the site can be integrated into the existing town.”

“Given these doubts and the lack of need to justify this development for a strategic site, the planning committee recommended to council that it is not included in the core strategy.”

“Waystone have gone to considerable lengths to address our concerns, and whilst we appreciate this we feel that Clowne north would not make a suitable strategic site and after a great deal of careful consideration, the council has approved the recommendation that it be removed from our core strategy.”

The core strategy document sets out the vision and objectives to guide change in the district over the next 20 years.

It highlights the amount of housing, employment and other forms of development and sets out the strategies for the district’s four main towns of Clowne, Bolsover, Shirebrook and South Normanton.

At a meeting of the full council, members considered and agreed with the planning committee’s recommendation to delete the site from the core strategy.

The strategy document will now be revised and will be made available for people to comment on later this year, before it is finally approved.