Dronfield Civic Society (DCS) is pleased that the inspector has confirmed that three Green Belt sites, including the one north of Eckington Road in Coal Aston, should remain in the Green Belt and not developed for housing.
However, DCS is disappointed that the inspector has concluded that two other Green Belt sites in Dronfield, one off Shakespeare Crescent and Chesterfield Road (DR1) and another at Stubley Hollow (DR3), should be allocated for housing development (200 houses in total).
DCS’s response to the consultation opposed all developments on Green Belt land in the District as we believe that the exceptional circumstances required to justify the alteration of Greenbelt boundaries have not been demonstrated. In particular, we argued that:
The number of houses needed has been over-estimated
There has already been a large number of new houses built in the District in recent years
A sufficient supply of housing land can be met from sites outside the Green Belt
The DR1 development will reduce the gap between Dronfield and Unstone and will be visible from far away
Satisfactory and safe access to the DR1 and DR3 sites has not been demonstrated
The DR1 development will increase the risk of flooding on Chesterfield Road
NEDDC has said that they will now consider the options available to them. DCS will be contacting local councillors to reaffirm our opposition to any development on Green Belt land and to express our hope that they will act in line with their previously stated commitment to protecting the Green Belt.
