Final chance to save the Wilford Road Green Belt

Since our last post, some seven months ago, rather a lot has happened!

WILFORD ROAD PARTIAL VICTORY

During last November’s public consultation there was considerable opposition from villagers, and even a vote by Ruddington Parish Council, to object to Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) including RUD01 (land off Wilford Road) in their Local Plan Part 2 shortlist. Despite this, RBC went ahead regardless and kept RUD01 in their final publication of three Green Belt sites (in BLUE on the map) they wish to sacrifice for housing development around our village.

BUT – thanks to your help – we did secure TWO very important victories:

1. Sellors’ Recreation Ground was taken out of RBC’s proposed RUD01
2. Consequently our historic Village Hall is unlikely to be bulldozed and moved to a location well away from the village centre (where remote new playing fields were mooted).

Sellors’ Recreation Ground play area

We are confident that both these amenities have now been saved for future generations of Ruddingtonians to enjoy. However, RBC still favours building 130 new houses on the flood prone land around Sellors’ Field. Adding in the numbers from the other two shortlisted Green Belt sites off Flawforth Lane and opposite Mere Way gave Ruddington a grand total of 350 houses… BUT!

 

ASHER LANE SHOCK

On 24^th May the Government’s Planning Inspectorate dropped a bombshell on village residents around Asher Lane by overturning Rushcliffe Borough Council’s refusal to grant outline planning permission for 175 homes on the Green Belt there. This was after a successful appeal by the landowner who wishes to build on his farmland. This development is now almost certain to go ahead even though the site (formerly RUD07) never made it onto RBC’s final shortlist. Therefore it is NOT included in the total of 350 homes. Worryingly that means potentially Ruddington could end up with 525 houses on its Green Belt if we villagers don’t take further action NOW.

RUSHCLIFFE’S FINAL CONSULTATION IS ALREADY ON!

PLEASE, PLEASE make sure to take the time to complete RBC’s published Local Plan Part 2 consultation via the link below by 5pm on Thursday June 28^th 2018:

http://rushcliffe-consult.objective.co.uk/portal

We are asking you to urge RBC that, at the very least, it now needs to completely REMOVE RUD01 from its published Local Plan Part 2 Ruddington shortlist. Even though Sellors’ is saved, FIVE out of Protect Ruddington’s six original objections still apply:

We OPPOSE RUD01 for the following reasons – you are able to use this information in your own comments.

1. Rural view– The rural views and last remaining green fields on the edge of the village would be lost to this inappropriate development
2. Access and traffic– Increased traffic from additional housing would affect Wilford Road and other congested routes through the village
3. Flooding– The area has a history of flooding. There are concerns that development could increase the risk of flooding for nearby properties
4. Coalescence– The development of this Green Belt land would reduce the open space between the village and the City of Nottingham. This increases the risk of the two merging in the future
5. Wildlife and Nature– An important wildlife habitat would be lost

Most significantly, THREE of the above objections are echoed by Asher Lane Planning Inspector Nick Fagan himself – within his report dated May 23^rd 2018 which granted outline planning permission for the “appeal site” RUD07.

Mr Fagan states: “Whilst RUD01 is also urban fringe it is, in my judgement, far more prominent than the appeal site especially when viewed approaching the village on the south sloping Wilford Road next to the golf club. Its northern boundary is only a field ditch and this offers no screening to any new development, albeit that landscaping could be provided. Nonetheless, this boundary cannot realistically be termed strong or defensible. The green gap between West Bridgford and Ruddington is relatively narrow and development at RUD01 would narrow it even more. The majority of RUD01 is also in Flood Zone 2. Although the Council has carried out a sequential test, its decision to prioritise RUD01 above the appeal site is in essence based on the latter’s highway constraints. National policy does not favour development on sites in Flood Zones (FZ) 2 and 3 where land in FZ 1 like the appeal site is available.” 

 

YOUR VIEWS WILL BE HEARD!

All public comments on the published Local Plan Part 2 submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council between now and June 28^th will, by law, have to be passed on to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate for them to see. THEY will actually be making the final decision about rescinding (or not rescinding) any further Green Belt sites in Ruddington, so objecting AGAIN to RUD01 is the best chance for ALL concerned residents who wish to reduce the potentially alarming new Green Belt housing total in our village.

 SO PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY NOW – BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!