Urged to wait on homes application

The company behind the bid for up to 6,000 homes south of Newark is being urged to hold back on the submission of its planning application.

Newark and Sherwood District Council’s head of planning services, Mr Michael Evans, said he wanted more time to understand the implications of the Government’s Regional Spatial Strategy.

The document, published last week, says 14,800 more homes are needed in the district.

It covers 2006-26 and deals with everything from housing to climate change.

The strategy takes into account the 800 homes built in Newark and Sherwood since 2006 and a further 2,500 that have been approved but not yet built. That leaves the need for 11,500.

Mr Evans says the strategy officially confirms Newark as the centre for a Growth Point bid, although it does not specify where the homes are to be built.

It leans heavily towards the creation of sustained employment which it says should be delivered to those who will live in a town, the population of which will grow by 15,000 to 40,000.

While this gives a green light to Catesby Group to submit a planning application for land between Grange Road and Hawton, Mr Evans has asked for a delay until towards the end of the year.

He said that was necessary for his department to assess the dispersal of the extra homes, allow for consultation and to await the results of independent surveys on issues such as flooding, sewerage, electricity, roads and associated infrastructure, employment, retail provision, sustainability and population trends.

“I would prefer a longer period for the technical work which is looking at Newark as a whole,” Mr Evans said.

“I would urge Catesby to hold back until the picture is clearer — late this year at the earliest — when we can begin to properly consider that site and any others.”

A spokesman for Green Issues, the company representing Catesby, said: “What the Regional Spatial Strategy does is strengthen the case for Growth Point which hadn’t yet been tested through the regulatory policy process.

“Catesby feels this to be the sensible conclusion. We intend to put in the planning application when we feel the time is right. Once Catesby is satisfied it’s right we will submit it.”