Plans spark safety fears

Children’s safety was among the concerns for planners who rejected an application for 23 homes in Balderton.

The plans for 11 houses and 12 apartments on Main Street were refused by Newark and Sherwood District Council planning committee on Tuesday.

All the homes would have been cheaper social housing.

The site is close to a lake and the East Coast mainline.

Committee member Mrs Shirley Moore said: “My concern is it will be a parents’ nightmare.

“You’ve got the railway line at the back, the water and the main road.”

Mr Gordon Brooks said he had seen nothing to say how children would be protected from the dangers of the railway line and lake.

Balderton Parish Council objected to the application. A member, Mr Walter Hurst, attended the meeting.

He said the parish council objected on the grounds of over-intensification of the site, that the sewerage system would not be able to cope, the road was dangerous and the proposed plans would add to the problems.

An application for 24 homes on the site was rejected by the district planning committee in March. The committee objected then on the grounds of over-intensification, lack of public open space and highways matters.

The applicant is appealing against that decision.

In the new application for 23 homes, public open space is provided.

Committee chairman Mr Stuart Wallace said they had objected to the application for 24 houses on road safety grounds.

He said Nottinghamshire County Council highways department no longer objected to the plans so he did not feel that could be used as grounds for objection again.

Mr Roger Blaney said the council could object on the grounds of lack of public open space.

“The fact local people don’t like it isn’t a sufficient planning reason. Perhaps it should be but it isn’t.”

Mr Brooks said he thought the highways department were wrong and the entrance to the site would still be dangerous.

Mr Allen Tift said he did not think that removing one house solved the issue of over-intensification of the site.

He said: “By removing one house and making that spot open space they think that is going to buy us off. I don’t think so.

“I think if they’ve got an appeal pending they get that or they get none.”