Plans for up to 1,400 new homes near to Doncaster Sheffield Airport approved
The development is set for land off Hurst Lane - close to the soon-to-reopen airport
Up to 1,400 new homes could be built close to Doncaster Sheffield Airport after planning permission was granted for a planning application, which contravenes the City of Doncaster Council’s Local Plan, by the Peel Group
The cross-party panel on the council’s planning committee approved two applications made by Peel for the same plot of land, which the company owns, off of Hurst Lane.
One application, the first to be approved in the meeting, was for up to 1,200 new homes and was in line with Policy Six of the council’s Local Plan, which tied the number of houses on the site to the number of jobs generated at and around Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
280 houses are approved upfront, as part of the application, however, additional houses will be permitted to be built on the site at a ratio of 0.11 houses for every one job delivered – up to the total of 1,200 new homes.
However, Peel’s second application, for up to 1,400 new homes, sought to contravene this requirement.
According to the report to the committee panel, planning officers “accepted that slavishly following the requirements of Policy Six in respect of the mechanism for releasing housing across the site would in reality result in an incremental form of development taking place”.
The report stated following this requirement “could be to the detriment of proper placemaking… being that individual plots would be delivered rather than a cohesive place”.
Stephen Wild, managing director at Peel Land, said in a press statement: “We are delighted with today’s decision by the City of Doncaster Council’s Planning Committee to approve the applications for our proposal to bring forward new homes in the area.
“This forms part of a long-term commitment – GatewayEast – to continue to create new homes, new jobs and encourage new communities in Doncaster. This site… has been identified by the local council as a significant growth zone and forms part of a wider masterplan for GatewayEast that envisages new employment space and a new town centre.
“The delivery of this residential community will provide the homes that support economic growth and to position GatewayEast as a key hub for investment in Yorkshire and the North of England.”
Finningley ward Conservative councillor, Steve Cox, was not able to participate in the second application after announcing in the previous committee meeting – where the two applications were deferred for a month in favour of more education and highways information – that he could not vote in favour of the second application.
Asked during Tuesday’s planning committee meeting which application Peel would build on if both were approved, the company’s Planning Director, Gareth Finch, said: “The second one, definitely.”
Peel are the landowners for Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which faces a significant step at a meeting of full council next week, when members will be asked to approve £57million worth of borrowing to continue the council’s plan to reopen the site.
Doncaster Council’s executive director of corporate resources, Debbie Hogg, and Fly Doncaster Ltd director Christian Foster were in attendance to watch Peel’s applications go through.
When the two applications were heard for the first time last month, councillors quizzed officials on education provision and traffic and highways concerns for more than an hour.
In the applications, Peel had designated some land to build a new primary school, if it was seen to be needed for the application to be approved
However, councillors on the committee took issue with officials’ decision to request education contributions totalling more than £8m from Peel to fund places at other nearby schools, rather than building the new primary school.
At the time, Labour councillor for Rossington and Bawtry, Bob Anderson, said: “It feels like we’re saying Doncaster is never going to get another school. It’s unacceptable.”
Members of the committee voted to defer the applications to the next meeting.
Officials returned at Tuesday’s meeting with extra information, breaking down the cost difference between the two options.
Neil McAllister, learning provision service manager at the council, told the panel building a new school could cost more than £12m – compared to the £6m and £8m contributions required from each of the Peel applications.
Accompanying information for the committee meeting confirmed Peel had agreed to keep the land available for the council to “call upon” if future developments create a need for the new primary school.
The agreement, which stemmed from the concerns raised by councillors in October’s hearing, will make the land available for the council for an “agreed number of years”.