Councillors say ball is in Government’s court over safeguarding Hucknall greenbelt

Ever since the Ashfield Independents’ landslide victory in last week’s local elections, the reaction has been one of fear for the future of Hucknall’s green spaces.

However, Coun Jason Zadrozny, council leader, said they remained committed to a revised housing scheme for the district that would reduce the Government’s target number of required houses to be built in the coming years, so allowing the council to drop Whyburn Farm – where 3,000 homes were slated for building – from future housing plans.

He said, “It’s fairly simple. We said we would send stage two of the enforced local housing plan to the Government, with hugely reduced housing numbers, removing Whyburn and Cauldwell Road in Sutton.

"We will press on and take our fight against unjust housing targets to the Tories in Government – the ball will be firmly in their court.

Members of campaign group Hucknall Against Whyburn Farm Development have also called on Hucknall’s nine Ashfield Independent councillors to open fresh dialogue with them to discuss what can be done to protect the greenbelt.

HAWFD’s principal concerns are that, because there is currently no local plan or housing development plan in place for Ashfield, there is nothing to stop developers submitting plans for the likes of Whyburn Farm or Misk Hills.

Should the council reject these applications, campaigners fear that, developers will just get the decision overturned on appeal.

Fears were further raised when a brochure for Whyburn was circulated online prior to last week’s elections.

However, Bloor Homes and Peveril Homes – the developers behind the plans – say these brochures were published before the site was removed from the local plan and do not indicate a change in status for the site.

But in a joint statement, they urged the authority to reconsider its decision.

Coun Lee Waters, who represents Hucknall Central, said: “We are pleased residents recognised our fight against an explosion in housing in Hucknall by voting for us in huge numbers.

“What our winning big does is strengthen the fight against, and increases our resolve to stand up to, the Government over enforced housing targets.”