Final plans for 800 homes on Drakelow Power Station approved to 'makes best of bad choices'

Final plans for more than 800 houses on a former Derbyshire power station have been approved with councillors “making the best of bad choices”. The scheme, from Countryside Partnerships, seals the final details of 819 homes on the 2,100-home Drakelow Park site – on the former Drakelow Power Station.

At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting last night (November 12) councillors heard how significant changes have been made to the overall scheme through the course of discussions and since the 2012 “outline” approval of the wider project. The 819 home “reserved matters” approval is for phases three and four of the development and had initially included three road links from phases one and two, but this has now been reduced to two road links and a connection for pedestrians.

Concerns had been raised about channelling too much of the wider estate’s vehicle traffic down smaller roads rather than the main spine route. More open space has now been provided and while 726 trees will be cut down to make way for the homes, 3,805 trees will be replanted across these phases, the developer says.

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These phases would see a bus route extended to serve the whole development, along with a further roundabout. Councillors agreed that the trees to be removed and replanted will be cut down in phases so that residents in the new existing housing will be “protected” from the dust and noise of construction of future phases for as long as possible.

Mac Cummings, chairman of the Drakelow Parish Meeting (a step down from a parish council) said the authority objected to the plans due to the impact on the character of the area and environment. He said the authority had concerns about the loss of trees and future maintenance of new trees and what species the replacements would be and how effective of a barrier they would create.

Mr Cummings said the original plan would “introduce mass traffic flows to quiet cul-de-sacs…to the detriment of residents”. Justin Howell, speaking on behalf of Countryside Partnerships, said the scheme would make a “significant contribution” to the district’s housing needs and to education, health and transport improvements.

Cllr Alistair Tilley said these were “much improved designs” with a pedestrian footpath now to replace an existing “muddy track”. Cllr Amy Wheelton said: “Perhaps we shouldn’t have let through what we let through at outline stage. Sometimes planning is about making the best of bad choices.

“There is now 5,000 square metres more open space than before and the footpath that we have been waiting for Derbyshire County Council to deal with will be joined up. There are still too many trees being lost but at least they will effectively be managed in perpetuity, they will take 20 years to grow and protect residents from dust.

“This is as good of an application that we are going to get.” Cllr Jayne Davies said tree cutting should be phased “to give residents protection from the noise and dust”, saying “it would be a good screen for them”.

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