It’s taken almost two years to sell the site, and for developers to put together this full application, but detailed plans have now been submitted to build yet more new homes on former Green Belt land east of Loughborough Road.
Chave Planning Ltd has drawn up the Design and Access Statement for land at ‘Croft House’ at 211, Loughborough Road, Ruddington, on behalf of the applicant TH Ruddington Ltd – which is part of national housebuilder Taggart Homes. It’s intended to explain how the site’s ‘environmental constraints and opportunities, the surrounding context, relevant planning policy and outcomes of involvement’ have been taken into account in preparing these proposals, so that ‘a well-considered and well-designed residential development’ should result.
During this process, however, the ‘low density’ housing proposals for approximately 2.55 hectares of the current green space around Croft House – which in 2021 were accepted ‘in principle’ by Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) – have seen the number of proposed dwellings there increased from 32 to 36. Also, the architecturally very traditional-looking homes originally suggested for this historically sensitive area of Ruddington have now been replaced by much more contemporary designs; a couple of which are pictured below.
The 36 proposed new dwellings would comprise a mix of 1-5 bedroom homes, including apartments, a bungalow and family houses, which it’s claimed would be suitable and adaptable for modern family living, starter homes and down-sizers. All dwellings would comply with the latest building regulations for access and egress, level thresholds and ground floor WC facilities to provide for mobility needs. The apartments are essentially a duplex, so the ground floor unit would be all on one level. The ‘Granary’ house type offers a dedicated study for home working. Following guidance from the Strategic Housing Officer, 10 affordable dwellings have been included in the plans: comprising 1 bedroomed apartments, a bungalow and 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes.
The approach and ‘formal’ grounds up to ‘Croft House’ itself would survive relatively unscathed – although a couple of outbuildings on its south eastern side would be demolished to make way for some of the new homes. Plans indicate that very few trees would need to be removed to accommodate the new houses in the green field to the south – and the existing arboreal ‘screen’ alongside it would be kept in place to minimise the visual impact of the development from Loughborough Road.
As previously reported, granting of planning permission for development here has been made considerably more likely because the land was ‘released’ from Ruddington’s historic Green Belt by RBC in 2020 for the adoption of its ‘Local Plan Part 2’. This was to enable both the William Davis ‘Lace Fields’ development of 180 homes off the Mere Way Roundabout and the new Linden Homes ‘Blacksmith’s Green’ estate of 56 new houses off Flawforth Lane. However, other repercussions so far have been to allow a significant expansion of Balmore Nursing Home into former Ruddington Green Belt land followed by 24 more dwellings being approved on ‘spare land’ behind the care home to expand ‘Lace Fields’ to 204 new houses.
When ‘Local Plan’ public consultations about Green Belt housing first began, villagers were told Ruddington would need to accommodate 250 new homes on its surrounding green fields by 2028. This rose to 350 as RBC’s Local Plan Part 2 progressed, and had reached 525 by the time a Government Planning Inspector approved the ‘final’ documents. However, subsequent permissions granted by RBC for a higher density of homes on three out of the four Ruddington sites increased that total to 583. The ‘Lace Fields’ extension took it 607 new houses. If 36 new dwellings are approved at ‘Croft House’, the grand total of houses being built on Ruddington’s former Green Belt will have ballooned from 250 to 643 – all as a consequence of RBC implementing its ‘Local Plan’ just three years’ ago.
Public comments on this latest ‘Croft House’ planning application [23/00385/FUL] are being welcome via Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning portal >>HERE<< until Wednesday 22nd March 2023.
