Top Wighay Farm extension sparks concerns for Hucknall health services

Plans to extend the Top Wighay Farm housing development by a further 640 homes have sparked concerns over how Hucknall’s health services will cope with the extra demand.

More than 800 homes have already been earmarked for the site, off the A611 Annesley Road bypass in Linby, alongside Nottinghamshire Council’s £15.7 million flagship office building and a primary school.

But now new documents reveal plans to extend the housing development further north and increase the number of homes beyond 1,400.

The development, on the Hucknall-Linby border, has caused concerns about its potential impact on Hucknall for several years.

The new homes plan came as part of the draft Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan. No specific details have yet been provided but documents confirm the land has been earmarked for the housing extension.

Now Ashfield councillors have discussed the Greater Nottingham plans and raised concerns about the impact on their district.

Coun Keir Morrison, Labour member for Hucknall South, said: “The bottom line, specifically talking about Hucknall, is we need more GPs across the town and more dentists, along with other associated infrastructure.

“In an ideal world we’d like to see these facilities upfront before any decisions are made.

“It’s pretty clear, from a Hucknall perspective, that you can build all of these houses, but where are people going to go when they’re sick or need a check-up?

“The system is broken and it’s as simple as that.”

The Greater Nottingham documents, which are at an early stage, do not outline if any extra community infrastructure would be provided through the Top Wighay extension.

They do, however, confirm 1,445 homes would be built on the land between 2024 and 2038 if the plan is approved.

Coun Matt Relf, Ashfield Council portfolio holder for economic regeneration, said: “Given this boundaries the existing railway line, I think it’s a no-brainer to be improving the tram to come along the line and actually have decent public transport to this site.

“This will give those new houses – if they do come – an easy way of getting into Hucknall town centre and make the best use of the shops and jobs there.”