Work on major regeneration plans for a housing estate in Newark should begin this year
The project suffered a delay in the submission of a planning application
Residents living on an estate where houses have been boarded up and are set to be demolished will see regeneration work beginning this year.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has provided an update on work on the existing Yorke Drive Estate and Lincoln Road Playing Fields.
The estate, created in the 1960s, will form part of a major regeneration project involving 320 new homes as well as a new sports pavilion and playing fields.
Some of the council homes on the estate have been boarded up ready for demolition as part of the regeneration project.
The council says the project has suffered a delay in the submission of a reserved matters planning application. It was due in March 2021 and is now due for May 2022.
Problems included design issues as well as noise levels from a nearby factory to the east of the site where some the homes would be built.
The project was put on hold while work was carried out to revise the scheme, mainly around layout.
In January, the council said along with partners Lovell Partnership and developers Compendium Living a face-to-face consultation with residents and members of the public took place.
The council says the majority of those who responded welcomed the proposals, but a number of attendees raised concerns.
This included the proximity of the new homes to existing properties to the south and west of the playing field as well as the impact of the loss of trees.
The council says that on January 27, it was announced that Good Life Foods – the factory where the noise issues were identified – began consultation with employees on the closure of the factory.
Despite this appearing to remove the noise problems originally identified, the revised design planning application will continue due to “the uncertainty of closure” as a final decision has not been made.
Matt Lamb, director of growth and regeneration at the council said: “If closure does go ahead, the current owners of the factory and land will wish to sell this.
“The council has no control over the commercial sale of this factory and cannot prevent a future factory making the same or more noise given that housing is not yet on site.
“The project team is currently working to complete a reserved matters planning application by May 2022. Approval of this application by the end of summer, would allow work to start later this year.”
Councillors sitting on the Homes and Communities Committee on March 14 will hear an update on the scheme and make note of the progress report.
In a separate meeting, on March 15, a planning application has been submitted to demolish four empty homes in Yorke Drive as part of this scheme.
The council states: “The four properties are not currently considered fit for habitation and have also been subject to anti-social behaviour. The former occupants were provided alternative accommodation.”