Rushcliffe Borough Council has taken a significant step forward in its plans for a major housing and employment development on land east of Gamston and north of Tollerton.
The site, allocated in the 2014 Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1, is expected to deliver around 4,000 homes, employment land, open space, schools, a local centre, and associated infrastructure.
At a meeting on 10th March, the council’s Cabinet approved recommendations on a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) following consultation last year and consideration of feedback from a local campaign group.
The SPD does not grant any existing or future planning permissions. Instead, it will serve as a key development framework and masterplan to guide future stages of development across the entire strategic allocation.
In January, Cabinet had paused a decision on the next stage of planning while requesting more detailed information from developers, particularly on highways. That information has now been provided, offering clarity on an aligned approach to a single highways solution.
Members of a cross-party councillor working group and council officers have worked on the masterplan for many years, bringing together a single vision for the comprehensive development of the site.
Cllr Roger Upton, RBC Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing, reiterated that the Council needed an SPD for the site so it can further oversee developers’ plans and have more influence on how they are shaped.
He said: ‘If we did not pass this SPD we would have risked applications for homes on the site at Gamston and Tollerton being determined by Government rather than by local people.
‘We currently have applications submitted to the Council to build on the Gamston and Tollerton site, and we have been clear a Masterplan for the entire development is needed to offer clear guidance on where the infrastructure should be sited as part of the planning process.
‘We have now received more information from the developers, and comments from Nottinghamshire County Council and National Highways on the data and plans for the transport and highway solutions in and around the site.
‘We have also received confirmation that the developers are continuing to work collaboratively and proactively with each other, and the highways authorities, to identify a satisfactory highways solution.
‘As a Council we have called on the Government to abolish housing targets, but this policy does not seem forthcoming, and we have an obligation to have an up-to-date Local Plan and five-year land supply.
‘We are aware of concerns around possible contamination on areas around Nottingham Airport, and these must be addressed as part of any planning applications.’
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