Residents voice fears that 600-home estate will overcrowd schools

RESIDENTS fear schools will not be able to cope with a big influx of new pupils if developers are given the go-ahead to build a huge housing development near Mackworth.

They were speaking at a meeting of the village's parish council, where plans for the scheme, off Radbourne Lane, were discussed.

People living nearby argued that the development, of up to 600 houses, would increase flooding in the area and that the road network could not cope. The proposed development site is farmland bordered by fields, woods and Mackworth Estate.

Graham Walker, of Station Road, Mickleover, asked planning officers from Amber Valley Borough Council, and Helen Evans, from developer Miller Homes, what they would do about additional traffic.

"Every morning and every evening there is a half-mile traffic jam from Radbourne Lane to the A52," he said. "I don't think it's going to help having 600 more houses with 1,000 or so cars feeding into it."

Paula Benson, of Lower Road, Mackworth village, was among around 35 residents who attended the meeting. She said she feared overcrowding at schools would increase as a result of the scheme.

"Where are all the children going to go to school?" she said. "I know Kirk Langley Primary School and Ecclesbourne School are both full. There isn't any room for any more."

At the meeting, at the church hall, in Lower Road, Mrs Benson raised concerns about flooding.

She said: "With all that Tarmac and the houses up there, where is all the rain water going to go? We are at the lowest point – it is going to be worse than ever."

Ms Evans, from Miller Homes, said if the scheme was given the go-ahead there would be a bus service from the development to the city centre. She said if the scheme was approved, work would start in 2011.

Approval for houses in the area was granted by a Government inspector after Amber Valley Borough Council had originally said it did not want it as part of the local plan.

Derek Stafford, of the council's planning department, told the meeting the authority wanted to see homes built elsewhere but that it was required by the Government to earmark land in the area for housing. He said that currently, the council would not have to identify any further land along the boundary with Derby for housing until 2026.

He said: "We do not have any requirement to provide any more sites for houses along our border with Derby city – that is from Mackworth to the Quarndon area."

About 30% of properties would be low-cost, the developer said.

Up to 200 would be one-bedroomed, 300 two or three-bedroom homes and 100 with four bedrooms. Access would be from a roundabout off Radbourne Lane.

In the outline planning application Miller Homes states that it would provide a financial contribution towards "enhancement of existing facilities at these two schools".