Residents unhappy as plans revealed for Hucknall traveller site close to school

The application, by an A Connors of Doncaster, is for a single-pitch site on land off Roberts Lane, close to the entrance of Hillside Primary School.

The plot size will be 1,000 sqm and would have three bedrooms and one parking space provided.

The proposed site is land behind the address The Bungalow leading up to the boundary with the A611.

And the application has already attracted criticism and objections from local residents.

One said: “It seems reckless to build further in an area that is already dangerous having 475 children use that road morning and evening.

"Parking and speed are already a concern add in more cars and construction vehicles it seems a cooking pot for disaster.”

Another posted: “I have concerns that despite the application being for a ‘single’ traveller pitch, it will not just be used by the applicant and their family, but will encourage a larger traveller community to the site, blocking access completely and becoming invasive and dangerous for surrounding residents.”

Another commented: “Hasn't Ashfield made enough money off Hucknall with all the housing being built?”

And another said: “We will be sending our child to Hillside Primary School and do not want a traveller site near the school.”

The application has also been met with concern from Nottinghamshire County Council’s highways department.

Commenting on the application, it said: “Our concern is that Roberts Lane is an unadopted narrow dead-end roadway, it is not wide enough, on average 3.3 metres in width, to allow two vehicles to pass each other and has no passing places.

"A development was granted permission in 2012 by the Local Planning Authority, but the Highway Authority has always maintained no further development should occur without improvements to the private drive.

"Recently an application for five dwellings was refused permission on highway safety grounds citing Roberts Lane being a narrow unlit roadway with no passing facilities and limited visibility to the private drive just past the entrance to the primary school.”

However, the application has also gained some support with one posting: “This is fantastic news, somewhere safe for travellers to stay off the roads and in an area that will have bins and utilities that travelling people need.”