Green light for homes on former power station site

Final plans for more than 800 houses to be built on the site of a former Derbyshire power station have been approved.

The scheme, from Countryside Partnerships, confirms the final details of 819 homes on the 2,100-home Drakelow Park site, where Drakelow power station used to be.

South Derbyshire District Council's planning committee heard on Tuesday how significant changes had been made to the overall project since it received outline permission in 2012.

The committee approved the application at the meeting, which concerns phases three and four of the overall development.

Plans had initially included three road links from the first two phases, but this has been reduced to two, with a connection for pedestrians.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, 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 said.

Councillors agreed that the trees to be removed and replanted will be cut down in phases so that residents in 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 said the authority objected to the plans due to the impact on the character of the area and environment.

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.

Councillor 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.

“This is as good an application that we are going to get.”

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