Keyworth: Major plan for village expansion with new homes development refused planning permission

A plan to build more than 70 homes on the outskirts of a Nottinghamshire village has been refused.

Developer David Wilson Homes wanted to build 73 homes on Bunny Lane in Keyworth, which has seen considerable expansion in recent years.

The development would have comprised a mix of homes, including bungalows, semi-detached and detached properties with between two and five bedrooms, 15 of which would have been designated as affordable.

A meeting of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning committee on Thursday, August 14 refused planning permission by eight votes to one.

The application had been recommended for approval by council planning officers as there were no objections from statutory consultees, but it did receive 141 opposing letters, with just 26 in support.

‘Smells and flies’

However, neighbours raised concerns over dust, noise, odour and the proximity to a nearby sewage treatment works and working farm.

Residents of the Keyworth Rise estate opposite also raised issues with flies and an intense smell from a nearby farmyard, which prevented the use of gardens and the opening of windows during last summer’s heatwave.

Keyworth Parish Council, which objected to the plan, said the altered development “in no way addressed the concerns raised previously”.

All three of Keyworth’s ward councillors - John Cottee, Rob Inglis and Tony Wells - also objected to the proposal.

The village has seen significant expansion in recent years, with new housing developments approved on Nicker Hill, Station Road and the opposite side of Bunny Lane.

A previous proposal for 77 properties at the Hillside Farm site was refused in 2021.

Councillors refused permission due to the accumulative effect of flies, odour, the appearance of fencing caused by the site’s topography, and the proximity to a sewage treatment works and a working farm.

Cllr Stuart Ellis, who moved the recommendation to refuse planning permission, said: “The proximity to a farm and sewage works is just not acceptable for a development of this kind.

“We would do a disservice to any prospective buyers if we approve this.”

Councillors also said it was inappropriate for the site to be included in the authority’s Local Plan, which has a target to build around 600 homes in Keyworth by 2028, and questioned why it was deemed acceptable.