A housing developer has appealed a decision to refuse a controversial planning application for 90 new homes in Derby – with a public inquiry set to be held. Last year, plans by Miller Homes to build on green wedge land off Royal Hill Road, in Spondon, were dismissed by Derby City Council’s planning committee.
The application attracted strong criticism from local residents with more than a hundred objections sent to the council during the consultation phase. The main concerns included building on valued green wedge space separating Spondon and Chaddesden and the development could lead to gridlock on an already busy road with a number of schools nearby.
Green wedge space is defined as areas of land that separate suburbs and provide areas of “breathing space” in between different neighbourhoods. At a planning meeting held in May, councillors decided to refuse the plans despite them being recommended for approval by city council planning officers.
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But in the first days of 2025, councillors in Spondon were notified by the council that developer Miller Homes had submitted an appeal to the Secretary of State. The letter states that “the appeal will be determined on the basis of an inquiry”.
Planning documents say the public inquiry will be held starting from April 15 at a location not yet known as arrangements are still being finalised. The decision is expected to be made by a Planning Inspectorate and will issued on or before June 4, 2025.
Miller Homes says the land off Royal Hill Road is a “sustainable location to meet local housing needs”. The firm has stated relevant and appropriate Section 106 contributions will be made to support and improve local infrastructure in Spondon if planning permission was approved.
According to new planning documents, Miller Homes claims the council’s reason for refusal “is at odds” with its own council officer assessment, which stated the plans for new homes were “without compromising the role and function of this particular Green Wedge”.
Miller Homes is also claiming Derby City Council “cannot demonstrate” a five-year supply of deliverable housing land and its position from almost a year ago “represents a significant shortfall”.
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A case of appeal report said: “The local planning authority’s single reason for refusal is unfounded and unsubstantiated by evidence. In the appellant’s view, the council’s decision to refuse against officer recommendation is unsubstantiated, as there is no significant harm to the function of the Chaddesden/Spondon Green Wedge deriving from the development proposals.”
At the planning committee meeting in May, Mickleover councillor Matthew Holmes said it was time for councillors “to take a stand” against the erosion of green space in the city.
At the meeting, he said: “I think this is significant tonight. I think we have a big decision to make because we are at a crossroads. Do we accept the fact that we are going to remove green wedge that is there for good reason or do we abandon that?
“I think we need to take a stand. We don’t need this pocket of houses. We should not be building on pockets of land that are well-defined.”
Alvaston south councillor Tim Prosser agreed with Cllr Holmes and said: “This is green wedge land and it should be supported instead of built upon. I will not be supporting this application.”
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