Housing plan on edge of ancient woodland refused

A bid to build 150 new homes on the edge of an ancient woodland in Derby has been refused.

Almost 1,500 objections were made against a scheme to put housing on farmland off Lime Lane in Oakwood, next to Chaddesden Wood.

A Derby City Council planning meeting on Thursday saw councillors unanimously refuse the proposals next to the "magical" nature reserve, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Chaddesden Wood has existed since the Middle Ages and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Developer JGP Properties Limited said its application would create "a sustainable and integrated new urban area within Oakwood".

In planning documents, JGP said the development would "safeguard land for flora and fauna for the long-term" and would integrate open spaces and green corridors "to both protect and harmonise" with the oak woodland.

But fears were raised the homes would stop wildlife and water entering, harming the "irreplaceable" nature reserve, as well as impact road safety on Lime Lane and increase flooding risk in nearby Breadsall.

Councillors at the meeting raised concerns over a lack of school places and GPs in the area.

However the meeting was told the city has fallen behind its five-year housing supply target, and 8,000 people are on the waiting list for affordable housing.

Mr Peck, representing developer and applicant JGP Properties, told the planning meeting the development should be allowed as new homes are desperately needed in the city.

About 150 objectors were in the council chamber's public gallery to hear the decision.

After the meeting Mid Derbyshire MP Jonathan Davies, who also voiced his thoughts in the council chamber, said: "The proposed development undermines nature and the environment.

"It would also come at a cost for the next generation, for whom we must be the custodians of irreplaceable sites like Chaddesden Wood."

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