Homes at Fernwood approved but HGVs must use country lane access

Plans for 1,050 homes north of Fernwood have been given the go-ahead, but construction traffic must use a country lane that bypasses the village.

Heavy goods vehicles will not be allowed along residential roads through the village, which means lorries will not go past the Fernwood annexe of Chuter Ede Primary School.

Newark and Sherwood District Council planning committee gave Barratt Homes North Midlands outline permission for the development.

The houses will be built west and east of Hollowdyke Lane and Spring Lane, south of the A1, and west of the East Coast rail line.

Mr Matt Lamb, the council’s business manager for development, said the development could take up to 17 years to complete.

Hollowdyke Lane, a single-track route around the perimeter of the village, will take all construction traffic.

It will eventually be closed to all through traffic except buses and bicycles.

No other vehicles will be able to access the development from Main Street, Balderton. They will have to join Hollowdyke Lane from Great North Road.

The developer had proposed using Goldstraw Lane, Dale Way, Phoenix Lane and Hunters Road during construction of the first 51 homes.

The committee voted in favour of a condition that Hollowdyke Lane should be used instead.

There will be 120 homes classed as affordable housing, and the other 930 will be sold at the market rate.

'Disastrous affect'

Maintenance of open space play areas will be carried out by a management company, but Fernwood Parish Council will be able to take on that responsibility with agreement of the company and the district council.

Nine members voted in favour of the development and three abstained.

Fernwood parish councillor Mrs Mollie Weale said: “The partial closure of Hollowdyke Lane to residents will have a disastrous affect on the residents of Fernwood.”

Mrs Weale said any accident on the A1 would bring gridlock to the area and Hollowdyke Lane was an essential part of the road network.

Balderton Parish Council vice-chairman Mrs Lydia Hurst raised concerns about the safety of the junction of Hollowdyke Lane and Main Street, Balderton.

“It is considered to be one of the most hazardous roads in the vicinity,” she said.

Mrs Hurst asked for an assurance the junction would only be used by buses and bicycles.

'Constant traffic.'

Planning committee chairman Mr David Payne said the development was essential for the council to meet its housing target.

He proposed supporting the application on the condition that construction traffic used Hollowdyke Lane.

“I am not happy at all with existing residents having to put up with constant traffic for the first 51 units or any of the development,” he said.

Mr Neill Mison, who represents Fernwood, suggested that emergency vehicles should be able to use Hollowdyke Lane and that it should be opened up as a relief road when there was major congestion on the A1.

Mr Johno Lee, who represents neighbouring Balderton North and Coddington, said he did not want traffic emerging on to Main Street.

“If you come over the hill from Coddington you have seconds to see a car turning left or right,” he said.

“With the amount of development around Balderton and Newark, I don’t think they will sell these properties.

“I know it is not a material planning consideration but the first thing they will see is awkward access on this housing estate and they will look elsewhere.”

Committee member Mr Paul Handley said: “On something as important as this, the locals can either have 15 years of misery or 15 years of exciting development.

“There is a great opportunity for all the local partners and the developer to work together.”

Mrs Susan Merrin, of Pond Close, Fernwood, had raised concerns about construction traffic using residential roads in the village.

She said: “This is safer than the plans that they had, which was an accident waiting to happen.

“We wanted to protect our children coming and going to school.”