A new document which has just been published (January 2023) seems to indicate that further large swathes of Ruddington’s surrounding countryside will not be required for more development within the next 15 years.
As part of the ‘Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan: Preferred Approach Consultation’ being undertaken by the Greater Nottinghamshire Planning Partnership (GNPP), Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) has not allocated any further Ruddington Green Belt for housing or commercial use within ‘Appendix A: Preferred Sites (Rushcliffe Borough)’ between now and 2038.
Instead, the authority’s section of the larger Nottinghamshire consultation focuses on other previously identified sites across the Borough where development has already begun or which were included in RBC’s ‘Local Plan Part 2’ for future expansion. This news will come as a great relief to many people in Ruddington – currently seeing increased traffic and pressure on village facilities as hundreds of new homes are already being built on our former Green Belt.
When the original ‘Strategic Plan’ was drawn up in July 2020, our village seemed to be threatened with the spectre of thousands more dwellings – adding four further sites to those already being developed, as shown on the map below. If the building on more Green Belt had gone ahead as originally drafted, Ruddington could have been physically joined with Clifton Estate to the West, Edwalton to the north or Bradmore to the south – or indeed all three! However, neither the four extra mooted sites within Ruddington nor the extra land west of Barton Moor appear in this latest consultation.
This is not to say there won’t be yet more development on our agricultural land – with a ‘Green Belt Review’ also published last month as part of the current consultation documents, which can be found >>HERE<<. Pages 30 to 35 analyse the importance of the five ‘areas’ of Ruddington’s Green Belt in checking the unrestricted sprawl of settlements, preventing merging of settlements, safeguarding the countryside from encroachment and preserving the setting and special character of an historic settlement. It’s very likely that Bloor Homes will apply to build on further Green Belt land it still owns west of Wilford Road as Fairham Green ‘Phase Two’ and that withdrawn proposals to build an ‘archery range’ on Green Belt land east of Wilford Road will be re-submitted as something considerably more substantial. These ‘Green Belt Scores’ would then play a significant part in RBC reaching a planning decision (and the verdict of any future appeals).
Moreover, the approval of the William Davis Homes ‘Lace Fields’ development necessitated additional land east of Loughborough Road already being removed from our Green Belt. Consequently, further outline planning applications have since been submitted to RBC for 24 homes to expand this development on ‘spare’ land behind Balmore Country House plus 32 dwellings in the grounds and adjoining field at Croft House.
RUDDINGTON.info will keep you posted on any further news about these and future applications. Meantime, if you’d like to take part in the latest Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan ‘Preferred Approach Consultation’, you can do so between now and 14th February 2023 >>HERE<<.
