Rushcliffe Borough Council’s “Local Plan” reaches a very important stage this Thursday, with a decision on whether it will move to the final “consultation” phase. The publication draft of the Local Plan Part 2 is due to be discussed at their Full Council meeting on April 26th.
The most significant aspect of this plan for Ruddington residents is that it would recommend getting rid of three long-designated Green Belt areas on the edge of our village to accommodate up to 350 new houses. The three sites chosen to be rescinded, following earlier public consultations, are all at prominent village gateways – with RUD01 in particular provoking strong opposition from local residents and the Protect Ruddington group. Ruddington Parish Council also objected to RUD01 saying: “The site is not suitable for housing, it contains Zone 2 & 3 Flood Risk areas. It is ridiculous to expect that there will be no impact upon the village infrastructure due to the location, traffic will flow into the village to gain access to the amenities and to travel to other areas.”
The draft plan, as it stands, proposes 130 houses on land west of Wilford Road (formerly RUD01), 50 houses at the former Eco-Plants site on Flawforth Lane (formerly RUD05) and 170 houses on land opposite Mere Way (formerly RUD13).
Since the last consultation, proposals to allow a low density development of self-build homes on land east of Old Loughborough Road (formerly known as RUD11) have been withdrawn. The Parish Council objected to this site, too, stating: “The area is isolated and too far away from the village amenities, there are no longer any retail facilities on Ashworth Avenue.”
The latest working map (top) also indicates a victory for the Ruddington Community Association who objected to RUD01 partly because it included Sellors’ Playing Field (left) a covenanted recreation ground which is also registered as an Asset of Community Value. This has now been removed from the proposed development area – reducing the potential number of homes from 180 to 130 but keeping the green space alongside Wilford Road.
In justifying its shortlist, the plan states: “All three sites are located on the edge of Ruddington and can be accessed either off the A60 or Wilford Road. In these locations, residents who commute to Nottingham or south and choose to drive can access their employment without travelling through the centre of the village, which, due to its historical layout, is congested at peak times.”
However, there continue to be serious local worries about flooding in the rest of RUD01 – much of which frequently turns into a “lake” during wet weather (right). Existing householders along Brookside Road, Brookside Gardens and Woodhouse Gardens fear their homes could be inundated during rainy periods once the level of the land is raised to build the proposed development.
Responding to these concerns for the land west of Wilford Road, Rushcliffe’s draft plan states:-
- Vulnerable development should not be located within flood zone 3.
- A site specific flood risk assessment (FRA) should ensure the site is not affected by current or future flooding and it does not increase flood risks elsewhere.
- Development on the Wilford Road frontage and which borders the open countryside should provide a visually attractive gateway and boundary to the village.
- On-site green infrastructure should deliver recreational open spaces, landscape buffers (including a buffer around Sellors’ Field Recreation Ground), net-gains in biodiversity and where necessary surface water flood mitigation. This should include a 10m buffer either side of Packman Dyke.
Mitigating the impact for the 50 house development south of Flawforth Lane the draft plan advises:-
- The trees and hedgerows which form the boundary of the site should be retained.
- The setting of the Conservation Area and Grade II Listed Easthorpe House should be preserved.
Whilst for the 170 homes on land opposite Mere Way:-
- The existing roundabout at the Mere Way/A60 junction will provide road access.
- The setting of the Conservation Area should be preserved.
- Development along the Loughborough Road frontage, at the junction with Mere Way and which borders the open countryside should provide a visually attractive gateway and boundary to the village.
If Councillors are in agreement to rubber-stamp the draft proposals at this Thursday’s meeting, then it’s thought the Local Plan Part 2 could be adopted as early as December this year.
It’s worth noting this allocation of 350 new homes on Ruddington’s Green Belt does not include the land off Asher Lane (formerly known as RUD07 – right) which is currently under appeal to the Planning Inspectorate by a property developer. So, if RBC loses this case and is forced to grant planning approval for a further 175 new homes there, it could mean a total of 535 Green Belt houses being built in our village by 2028!
This crucial meeting on the future of Ruddington’s Green Belt starts at 7.00pm on Thursday 26th April 2018 in the Council Chamber, Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford. As of earlier this month, Rushcliffe residents and business owners can now ask specific questions at all Full Council and Cabinet meetings. So Ruddingtonians are encouraged to go along and have their say!
UPDATE 26th APR 2018:
Visitor seats were at a premium tonight as local residents packed in to hear RBC’s Full Council presentation on the Draft Local Plan Part 2 – including speeches from around a dozen councillors airing their thoughts and concerns – before taking a show of hands. All but ONE Councillor voted to go ahead with the publication of the Plan as it stands – with all three of Ruddington’s Borough Councillors also waving it through despite knowing that many residents and Ruddington Parish Council have grave concerns about the proposed 130 home development on the flood-prone fields west of Wilford Road. Councillor Martin Buckle gave a short Ruddington-related address to the chamber before voting in favour of the current plan, which now earmarks Ruddington’s Green Belt for a total of 350 homes.
Next, the draft Local Plan Part 2 will be published for a six week representation period, before it is then submitted for examination by a Planning Inspector.
