The development, if construction went ahead, would be situated on land off Stoney Lane in Spondon – right next to the busy Brian Clough Way which connects Derby and Nottingham.
The new plans are just a small part of Derby City Council’s new draft Local Plan. This important document earmarks where new houses can be built in the city over the next 18 years. It includes sites in the city centre, Littleover, Chaddesden and Mickleover.
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One of the sites listed in the draft document is land off Stoney Lane. The document states: “Land east of Stoney Lane, Spondon, will deliver a minimum of 400 new, high-quality homes forming an eastern urban extension to the suburb of Spondon.”
The Local Plan is at the draft stage, so the plans to build in specific areas are not definite. A cabinet meeting, chaired by the city’s leading Labour councillors, is scheduled for next Wednesday (November 12) to move forward with plans before a public consultation.
Councillor Shiraz Khan, cabinet member for housing and strategic planning, said: “This new Local Plan for Derby has been designed to address the needs of our city both now and for the future, and ensure we meet the targets set by the Government.
“These documents are crucial for guiding our developments, encouraging investment and economic development, and implementing protections for the environment. Therefore, the next step will be to consult on these proposals to ensure they meet local needs.”
The proposed homes off Stoney Lane aim to deliver a minimum of 40 per cent affordable housing. The Local Plan documents indicate plans to create a buffer area within the development to help mitigate noise from A52 traffic.
But major concerns have been expressed that Spondon will not be able to cope with a new development of that size due to the “significant growth” it has had over recent years.
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Worried councillors said many residents would “understandably be alarmed” by the proposals and felt Derby needed many more taller buildings to help meet the expectation of new homes.
A joint statement from Spondon’s three Conservative councillors said: “Spondon has seen significant growth over the years and has contributed heavily to housing expansion in the past two decades, particularly in the south of the Nottingham/Derby Road Corridor.
“Our view is that greater city-centre densification is needed, as the inner-city population remains low compared with other UK cities. We firmly believe that the era of being a predominantly one or two-storey city must come to an end if we are to prevent further urban expansion into the countryside.”
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