THE MALMIC LACE HOUSING APPLICATION – BROOKSIDE ROAD, RUDDINGTON

Following recent events you could be forgiven for thinking that #ProtectRuddington are against all proposed housing development within our village. This is untrue. We are not.

We accept that, in Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Core Strategy, Ruddington is expected to find sites for 584 new houses by 2028. However, this is still 13 years away – so we believe that all Brownfield options which may continue to arise during that time should be exhausted before any building on our Green Belt is even considered.

If and when Green Belt land has to be sacrificed, development should not be detrimental to the character of our village and its rural gateways. Nor should it threaten to cause coalescence of Ruddington with the Nottingham conurbation which is now so perilously close.

Consequently when former industrial land within our boundaries becomes available for housing we really must embrace it!

One such application submitted on the 24th of August 2015 is 15/01793/FUL. This proposes the

Malmic Lace – Ruddington. Image source: propertylink.estatesgazette.com

demolition of the current Malmic Lace factory (and two houses) and the erection of 28 dwellings, with associated infrastructure, on land West Of Malmic House on Brookside Road.

Click here to view the application and documents.

The existing factory frontage is not especially pretty and is possibly not suitable for conversion into a larger number of smaller flats. But it may be worth planners considering that option rather than just demolition? This would likely give us more than the 28 dwellings currently proposed – and possibly these could be more affordable houses, too? Otherwise the plans for semi-detatched houses would seem to fit in with the other properties currently on Brookside Road. However it would be nice to see more trees and greenery added into the plans – as some green open space would be lost.

Also we would like to see measures included to reduce the current amount of kerbside parking on Brookside Road and potential parking on Woodhouse Gardens. This has already been causing problems in recent years on the only access route for residents on this estate – especially with the increased volume of traffic passing through it. And the imposition of a 20MPH speed limit might be a good idea.

You may wish to attend tonight’s Ruddington Parish Council Amenities Committee meeting (Weds 23rd Sept) to share your views – in St Peter’s Rooms from 7.30pm – as they will be debating their response to this application.

How do you comment on this proposal?

Any comments you have to improve the proposed design should be made to Rushcliffe BC by letter or via their website.

Click here to comment online.

But we suggest either supporting or remaining neutral on this application rather than objecting to it. It’s better than the alternative of building on our Green Belt!

Here are some points you may choose to include in your comments:

1. Any new houses should be sympathetic in design to the village, not
necessarily to the new estate these properties are being built next to.

2. Consideration and funds should be contributed to traffic and road
signage – with additions along Camelot Street and Brookside Road – including
speed reduction e.g 20 mhr speed limit (not speed bumps).

3. Greenery and planting at the front of the new properties should be considered in order to go some way in making up for the loss of the current large open green focal point.

4. Properties should be affordable – allowing current Ruddington residents and their families the opportunity to buy and stay in the village.

5. Though it’s a smaller quantity of houses compared with other development proposals, the developers should be asked to make some contributions to improving local facilities such as the Medical Centre – and especially towards the closest amenities such as Sellors’ Playing Field and the Village Hall.

#PROTECTRUDDINGTON

Open Meeting: Tuesday 8th September – Parish Council will make decision on whether or not to sell the Village Hall and Sellor’s Playing Field

TUESDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 7.30pm St Peter’s Rooms…

…is the next very important date for your diary following the end of Ruddington Parish Council’s consultation about whether or not they should potentially sell off our historic Village Hall AND Sellor’s Recreation Ground for new housing development.

It’s been previously stated that this is the biggest decision that the Parish Council has faced since 1910. Now RPC has published the stats it collected from all those who completed their questionnaire:
http://ruddingtonparishcouncil.gov.uk/…/results-of-parish-…/

As you can see the results are inconclusive. This may in part be due to the most obvious and cheapest alternative of just repairing and refurbishing the existing village hall not even being given by RPC as an option!? Meanwhile threats of increases in council tax were used to put people off the listed options RPC did not want us to choose.

Ruddington Parish Council’s actual DECISION will be made in public AT THIS MEETING – when Councillors will try to argue these findings give them the mandate they need to sell off land and property covenanted and gifted to our village.

Consequently ALL residents who care about the future of Ruddington are encouraged to go along to St. Peter’s Rooms this Tuesday 8th September at 7.30pm. The consultation’s outcome will be discussed by Parish Councillors and decisions made about what the next steps will be.

FIRST there will be a presentation of the results from the survey THEN an opportunity for members of the public to comment and ask questions. It is AFTER hearing these contributions that the Parish Councillors will hold their discussion. No further comments or questions from the public will be allowed beyond this point in the meeting.

SO PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOUR SAY!

‪#‎ProtectRuddington‬