News

Again! – New North Avenue Development

application No 06/15/00720

It was only last year that we saw off the last application for planning Permission to build 45 houses on this site situated between North Avenue and the A38.

The main reasons given for refusing the previous application were that:
"In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, residential development on the application site would be prominent and visually intrusive, leading to the narrowing of the Green Wedge, between Darley Abbey and Allestree, resulting in a loss of openness and undeveloped, landscape character in this highly sensitive part of the Green Wedge."
"Residential development on this site would have an unsatisfactory relationship with the prevailing built form of Darley Abbey. Given the topography of the site and its surrounding fields, which falls west to east, towards the River Derwent and the pattern of residential development on North and South Avenues, it is considered that it would be difficult to secure a layout of development that relates well to existing housing in the locality. The existing houses on North Avenue turn their backs to the site and the site is enclosed from the north and west by substantial raised embankments to the neighbouring trunk road network; it would virtually be an island of development that would struggle to relate to neighbouring communities."
Thus such a development would be in breach of the City Council's policy of preserving a green wedge between Darley Abbey and Allestree.

"In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, residential development on this site, which would fall within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and its associated Buffer Zone, would be harmful to the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site. This is due to the site being an important part of the undeveloped rural landscape providing the setting for the Darley Abbey Mills industrial settlement, which makes a contribution to the significance of the World Heritage Site. The site is therefore highly sensitive and the proposal would result in the loss of the rural character and landscape and would change both the character and experience of this part of the setting of the World Heritage Site, eroding the clear relationship between the rural landscape and the historic settlement, which is an integral part of its contribution to the Site. The proposal is therefore contrary to saved policy E29 of the adopted City of Derby Local Plan Review and the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework."

The new application tries to address these concerns by trying to make the site unobtrusive with trees screening the site from the rest of the WHS.
However, I cannot see that this new application is substantially different from the last one except in the access arrangements. Access is now along the existing track joining North Avenue at its Western End instead of a new access road to the Eastern End. From a residents perspective this is even worse because the extra traffic generated will have to travel the whole length of North Avenue before accessing South Avenue.
They are no longer offering the sweetener of the provision of a playing field or a parking area for the Old Vicarage School.

They are, however, willing to enter into a s106 Agreement to pay £55,755 for the provision of and improvements to public transport cycling and pedestrian facilities within the A6 transport corridor to improve accessibility to the Application Site for occupiers of the Development, £71,775 for the provision of or improvement to Public Open Space reasonably capable of serving occupiers of the Development, and £100,935 for the provision of or improvement to Major Public Open Space reasonably capable of serving the occupiers of the Development.

They have addressed the other reason for refusal last time which was their failure to supply an archaeological survey to ascertain if a Roman Road crosses the site. Archaeological Research Services Ltd carried out a full survey of the site including four trial trenches and no Roman Road or other archaeologically significant feature was found.

Once again we urge residents to lodge their individual objections to this proposal. The closing date for objections is the 29th June 2015.

For further information go to https://eplanning.derby.gov.uk/acolnet/planningpages02/acolnetcgi.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=98351