Yorke Drive Estate Regeneration scheme in Newark approved by Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee
After years of delays, ambitious plans for a 207-home regeneration development in Newark have been approved.
The Yorke Drive Estate Regeneration scheme will see the demolition of old properties to make way for new homes, as well as a new sports pavilion and upgrades to a sports pitch on the Lincoln Road Playing Field site along Lincoln Road.
The original application was first submitted in 2018 and approved by Newark and Sherwood District Council in November 2019, but the project faced years of delays due to issues including problems raised by Nottinghamshire County Council, over the number of car parking spaces and street access for emergency vehicles.
Sport England also objected to the layout over how close it was to residential properties, saying it did not meet “minimum size requirements”.
To address the concerns, a re-design of the proposals was submitted to reduce the number of homes from 320 to 207, which include 18 one-bedroom apartments, 54 two-bedroom houses, 117 three-bedroom houses and 18 four-bedroom houses — 74 of which will be affordable housing.
The new plans saw a change to the size and location of playing pitches and include more open space and landscaping as well as improving linkages between Yorke Drive and the surrounding area, the energy efficiency of homes, and including electric vehicle charge points on the estate’s parking.
At present, the estate has 355 homes and a sports pavilion next to playing fields, with 130 homes demolished along with the sports pavilion, and a row of garages.
Revised plans were submitted in October 2024, and it was recommended for approval by Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee last night (Thursday).
Chairman Andy Freeman said that the project has been a “long time coming”, and Emma Oldham said that she was really excited about the development, in particular the hedgehog highways, but was concerned over the ecology of the scheme as 66% of existing trees were being removed, albeit with 340 being planted, and while the facilities were impressive, she was also concerned that the green space was being taken up too much by sporting activities and the “balance feels off”.
Simon Forde said he “really hoped they could make the most of every blade of grass to make this a lovely recreational space for residents, even if it’s just a bench for people to sit and chat on.”
The plans were unanimously approved by the members.
Lee Brazier, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said after the meeting: “I want to firstly thank the residents of Yorke Drive for their patience and cooperation during the planning of this scheme.
“As a Council, we recognise this has not been an easy process for them. This is such an important development and the impact it will have on their lives is huge which is why it’s vital we get it right. This has been a key priority for this administration, ensuring that the scheme was ready to get over the line. Everyone is keen to get spades in the ground and this summer we will see the start of this exciting project.
“Throughout the creation of this scheme we have continued to engage with residents and partner organisations ensuring the project meets the needs of those living on Yorke Drive. The past few years have seen challenges ranging from re-designs, delays, the cost-of-living-crisis and even a worldwide pandemic, but our commitment to residents has remained steadfast and the approval of planning is a major step in creating a brighter future for all who live on the estate.”
