Questions raised on 8 December 2020
Will a trigger-point be defined for the provision of the primary school?
The Council is in close discussions with Nottinghamshire County Council (the education authority) about education provision in the area. The current provision via Gateford Park Primary School is sufficient to include some additional capacity through the development at Peaks Hill Farm. Any improvements to Gateford Park School as a result of impacts from Peaks Hill Farm will come via a financial contribution in the short/medium term.
In the longer term, it is likely that there will be a need for a new primary school and the proposed policy for Peaks Hill Farm safeguards an area of land within the site that is large enough to accommodate the necessary buildings and space for a new school.
The trigger point to when a new school is needed on site will be decided by Nottinghamshire County Council.
What about secondary schools? Valley Academy has been oversubscribed for the past 3 years?
The education authority will require a financial contribution for the provision of secondary education. This will help improve capacity at existing schools. No new secondary schools in Worksop are required within this plan period.
Portland this year, in Y7, took 295 with 300 places available. Which secondary school catchment will the homes fall into?
All secondary schools in Worksop will be available for local children.
What happens in relation to the local roads? The existing Farmers Branch / Blyth Road junction was to be improved with the current housing development. Are these still going to happen In addition to the Farmers Branch / Thievesdale Lane junction?
The Council has produced a Transport Assessment which looks at the existing capacity of local roads and the additional traffic from new development. If there is an impact to the highway network from a new development then there will be required mitigation to help support the proposed growth. The proposed development of around 1000 new homes at Peaks Hill farm will produce additional traffic and will cause impacts to some parts of the local road network. The assessment identifies four highway mitigation recommendations, including:
- The provision of a new east/west distributor standard road from Carlton Road through the Blyth Road – this is designed to take the majority of traffic from the new development and to help reduce east/west traffic along Farmers Branch and Hundred Acre Lane.
- Improvements to the existing double mini-roundabouts on Kilton Hill/Eastgate via a financial contribution to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
- Improvements to Cannon Crossroads via a financial contribution to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
- Improvement to the existing mini-roundabout along Claylands Avenue/Shireoaks/Rhodesia via a financial contribution to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
While the proposed landscape buffer to the south is welcomed, no vehicular connectivity with the existing estate “misses a trick”. While consultation responses indicate this is a sensitive matter and any such connector road should not be relied upon solely, it should be viewed as an important component of ensuring integration with the existing established community and helping the access points off Blyth Road and Carlton Road be truly effective in alleviating pressure on Cannon Crossroads.
Due to the existing traffic capacity issues along Farmers Branch, it has been recommended (through the Council’s Transport Assessment) that the access to and from the proposed site should be via a new east-west link road between Carlton road and Blyth Road. Therefore there will be no vehicular movement north/south, but there will be walking and cycle access north/south. The locations of these are yet to be agreed.
The enormous site will impact significantly on the existing junctions by sheer traffic volume, why is it only junctions significantly away from the site that are going to get improvement?
The Council has produced a Transport Assessment which looks at the existing capacity of local roads and the additional traffic from new development. If there is an impact to the highway network from a new development then there will be required mitigation to help support the proposed growth. The proposed development of around 1000 new homes at Peaks Hill farm will produce additional traffic and will cause impacts to some parts of the local road network. The assessment identifies four highway mitigation recommendations, including:
- The provision of a new east/west distributor standard road from Carlton Road through the Blyth Road – this is designed to take the majority of traffic from the new development and to help reduce east/west traffic along Farmers Branch and Hundred Acre Lane.
- Improvements to the existing double mini-roundabouts on Kilton Hill/Eastgate via a financial contribution to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
- Improvements to Cannon Crossroads via a financial contribution to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
- Improvement to the existing mini-roundabout along Claylands Avenue/Shireoaks/Rhodesia via a financial contribution to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
Is there any intention to redraw the Parish boundary? Although the site is in Carlton Parish it is an extension to Worksop. Accordingly, the pressure from development will predominantly be on Worksop services and facilities. Instead of investment in Carlton Village Hall, the focus should be on Thievesdale Community Hall and Worksop-based facilities.
There are no plans to redraw the Parish Boundary for Carlton in Lindrick.
Is there a thought to the deer and buzzards that live in the fields?
Yes. Ecology is an important factor when considering the location of development. The Council undertakes a Sustainability Appraisal and a Habitats Regulations Assessment. This has identified what the potential impact will be to the environment from development.
In addition, future developers will also need to undertake a more detailed ecological survey as part of a planning application.
When was the transport assessment completed?
The Transport Assessment (part 1) was completed and published in 2019.
The revised plan talks about 1000 plus 120. The first draft talked about 900. Given the site is shrunk in size how will these 220 extra houses be accommodated?
There is sufficient space to accommodate the proposed level of housing within the site boundary. This will include a mixture of house types sizes, tenures and densities.
Is the buffer zone guaranteed?
Yes. The green buffer is being factored into the plan for the site and also is a criterion within Policy. The details of what type of landscaping and how big the green buffer will be is still to be decided.
Will the Masterplan be in the next draft of the plan or a separate DPD or SPD?
Yes, the Masterplan will be included in the next draft of the Local Plan. There are currently no plans to make it a DPD or SPD. However, the masterplan will be prepared to SPD status.
Could not some of this land be used for extra green space rather than more housing given we have sufficient sites across Bassetlaw to meet housing numbers.
In excess of 18Ha of the site will be green space. There are currently not enough sites in Bassetlaw to meet the proposed Housing Requirement in the draft Local Plan. The proposed number of homes at Peaks Hill Farm (1000 by 2037 and 120 beyond that date) is required in addition to current planning permissions for housing.
Are new houses going from the proposed green buffer area up to the long plantation woodland?
Yes, that area is proposed for new homes.
Where can we view the concept plan?
View the concept plan for Peaks Hill Farm.
Who are the potential employers companies? There are current empty units/warehouses in the town/local area and large companies such as M&S left?
Planning permission was granted for employment on part of the site in June 2018. NB. The 182 dwellings have commenced development on the adjoining site:
15/01477/OUT | Outline Application With Some Matters Reserved for Mixed Use Development Comprising up to 182 Dwellings, Clean/Green Tech Business Park, Innovative Data Centre and Ancillary Storage Use, Access and Junction Improvements, Landscaping and Sustainable Urban Drainage Infrastructure | Land North Of Thievesdale Lane And West Of Blyth Road Worksop Nottinghamshire S81 0TP
Additional land at Peaks Hill is also proposed for employment use.
How are street roads going alongside the long plantation?
There is currently no detail on the layout of the scheme. The Concept Plan shows shaded areas of the site which are suggested for housing. The Council would like to hear residents’ thoughts on the Concept Plan prior to a more detailed Masterplan being produced.
There are a huge amount of houses been built in shire oaks and Gateford ... why are these not been taken into consideration?
These sites/number of homes have been taken into account, but there is still a need to allocate more land to meet the proposed housing requirement in the draft Local Plan.
What will be on the playing fields? Is that the rugby pitch you mentioned?
There is currently no detail on this. Decisions on the type of pitches will be informed by evidence on open space requirements and through consultation responses. The Council is keen to hear local resident’s views on this.
Highways Questions
Blyth road is currently under huge stress from peppers yet you are saying that potentially 2000 cars won’t cause any more problems.... how can that be justified
Will there be speed reductions considered significantly to Blyth Road and Carlton Road - given that traffic goes from 60-30 at a bend where the existing Farmers Branch junction is?
The junction of Thievesdale lane and Blyth road is awful to navigate now ... over 2000 extra cars is going to make this a death trap. This can’t be allowed?
Will there be any traffic calming measures in the new development to avoid cars using it as a race track particularly in the evenings?
Decisions on traffic calming measures will be informed by evidence and through discussions with the Highway Authority.
We’re not saying that there won’t be an increase in traffic. The Bassetlaw Transport Assessment has looked at the impact the development will have on the area and has proposed highway improvements to address this. Nottinghamshire County Council’s Highways Team have been involved in this, and they will continue to be involved as the Local Plan progresses and at the planning application stage to ensure highway standards are met.
Questions raised on 17 December 2020
How close will the proposed road be to existing properties on Westerdale.
No decisions have yet been taken on the finer details of the development layout. This is something that will be detailed through the creation of a masterplan and any subsequent planning applications.
The Council would like to hear residents’ views on connectivity from the existing adjoining roads to Peaks Hill Farm. The views of people responding in writing to this consultation will be taken into consideration in a more detailed masterplan for the site. This will be produced at a later stage in the planning process.
What evaluation has been undertaken regarding the impact of the new road on existing residents in Westerdale in relation to noise and air quality?
The Council is working with Nottinghamshire County Council, the Environment Agency and Environmental Health in terms of impacts from pollution, contamination and air quality. The public health department at the County Council is also actively involved in the discussions on public health.
When is the planned date to start building this new road?
The Council’s housing trajectory estimates that the site will begin to deliver new homes from 2026. This will enable some of the initial infrastructure to also be delivered such as drainage and highways. However, the development of the site will take some time and therefore the main East-West distributor road will be a medium-longer term piece of infrastructure.
What is proposed for the existing hedgerows at the rear of properties on Westerdale i.e. is it proposed that these will be retained or retained?
No decisions have yet been taken on the finer details of the development layout, including the size or status of a green buffer. This is something that will be detailed through the creation of a masterplan and any subsequent planning applications.
How wide is the buffer zone between Westerdale and the new development on Peaks Hill Farm. Also will developers be legally bound not to develop on the buffer zone?
No decisions have yet been taken on the finer details of the development layout, including the size or status of a green buffer. This is something that will be detailed through the creation of a masterplan and any subsequent planning applications.
Most residents in Worksop already commute out of town to work. Even with the development of new industry etc there will still not be enough work for residents of Worksop especially with the huge volume of new houses being built. What plans are there to improve the rail infrastructure at Worksop and surrounding roads to commuter cities such as Sheffield.
The Plan makes sure that the number of homes proposed balances with the number of new jobs. So 11,200 jobs are planned for in the District by 2037. This should help reduce the amount of people that commute out to work. Strategic infrastructure such as roads and rail are important to improve the connectivity of people and places. More information on transport improvements is set out in the Council’s transport studies.
In addition, the Council is planning a new rail station as part of the proposed Bassetlaw Garden Village and Worksop Train Station forms part of the Worksop Central Development Plan and masterplan. These are being prepared to support the regeneration of the town centre and to improve services, infrastructure and the environment.
Where exactly will the new cycle/footpath be located from Westerdale to the new site
No decisions have been made regarding the connections from Westerdale to the site. The draft Bassetlaw Local Plan is still at an early stage and the Concept Plan is the first stage of a masterplanning process.
The Council would like to hear residents’ views on connectivity from the existing adjoining roads to Peaks Hill Farm. The views of people responding in writing to this consultation will be taken into consideration in a more detailed masterplan for the site. This will be produced at a later stage in the planning process.
Will developers be required to pay a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to help fund the improvements to the Peaks Hill area.
The developer will be required to pay contributions towards any necessary infrastructure improvements in the area. This won’t be via the CIL mechanism, it will be via a section 106 agreement between the developer and the Council and other infrastructure partners.
Worksop is having the bulk of the development so why isn't there a priority and focus to improve the train station in Worksop as opposed to the Garden Village or other areas.
The Council is prioritising the regeneration of Worksop Town Centre, including the area around Worksop Station. The Worksop Town Centre Masterplan is currently out for public consultation. Details can be found on the Council’s website.
Proposals include opening up and revealing Worksop Station frontage and offering cycle hire with associated retail and catering uses complemented by additional new homes.
Can we have a copy of the presentation slides from today
Slides will be available to view in the New Year once the consultation has closed.
Is there a large copy of the Peaks Hill plan on the website
Yes, it can be viewed on the site Promoter’s website via a link on the Council’s website.
It's difficult to view this plan on the website.
The Concept Plan can be viewed by clicking the blue text entitled “Hallam Land Management’s Website”. Please contact the Planning Policy Team if you are having problems viewing the Concept Plan.
Last Updated on Thursday, November 21, 2024