House Builder Seeks Highway Improvements Delay

A property developer currently building 175 new houses on former Green Belt land in Ruddington is asking for “a change in time frame” for offsite highway improvements at two busy junctions.

Avant Homes (Midlands) is seeking a “variation of planning Condition 9” 18/00300/OUT until the first 35 dwellings on its new 15.89 acre ‘Wilbur Chase’ development south of Musters Road have been occupied. To cope with the anticipated increase in traffic flow through Ruddington, the original approval was conditional upon financial contributions being made by Avant to the Local Highway Authority, both in lieu of off-site highway improvement works to the A60/Kirk Lane/Flawforth Lane junction and to the High Street/Kirk Lane/Charles Street junction.

As shown below – on the map drawn up by ADC Infrastructure – it’s the village centre junction which is turning out to be problematic. Plans to add traffic lights and three pedestrian crossings right in the middle of High Street are proving very difficult to accommodate – at least, not without first knocking down some historic buildings!

The ‘Asher Lane’ development continues to be unpopular with local residents – many of whom bitterly opposed the housing plans for many years before these were controversially granted permission in 2018. This latest application by the house builder to start filling its properties before the agreed traffic arrangements have been put in place does not seem to be helping in its local PR battle.

Geoff Hardy comments: “The Planning Inspectorate spent a lot of time and money in investigating the opportunity for houses on Asher Lane. The conditions specified in their appeal decision were well thought through and should only be varied with good reason. I have read through the application, and supporting letter, and can find no justification for the proposed change.”

Shirley Mason agrees: “This was a considerable point at issue in the appeal, and I feel that Avant Homes should be held to the original timetable to prevent what could be significant slippage in timescales.”

John Machin adds: “This was a major condition placed by the planners on the development due to congestion of the village. There is no justification for softening this condition so late in the day.”

Gareth Owen concludes: “In order to comply with the condition that a suitable traffic management plan be implemented before any homes are occupied, my suggestion is that the whole plan should be changed to reduce the number of planned new dwellings. There should only be enough dwellings that the current T-junction layout is still viable with the expected increase in volume of traffic.”