Following our post regarding the Toton East Planning Application, we have received the following comments that appear in the second half of this post.
Note, this Planning Application is part of the Major Development of 4,500 homes which was agreed to be created in Toton and Chetwynd Barracks by Nottinghamshire County Council and Broxtowe Borough Council in 2019. The Neighbourhood Plan was approved via referendum by the Local Community and adopted by Broxtowe as part of the Planning Policies for the overall development in 2024.
It should be noted that the land included within the Toton Strategic Location for Growth (Toton East, Toton South, Toton North & Toton West as per the descriptors used in the SM-SPD and draft GNSP) was removed from the green belt in 2014 by the Aligned Core Strategy (i.e. the Part 1 Local Plan) to facilitate HS2 that at the time was coming to Toton, and the associated development, infrastructure and economic growth that it would bring. This was before the Forum came into existence in 2017. The fact that HS2 is no longer going to reach us, doesn’t reverse the decision about the green belt, and the SLG remains a Major Strategic Development site along with Chetwynd Barracks. In fact within the draft GNSP Policy 21 they have been combined as one major site requiring a holistic approach. When adopted after independent examination, the GNSP will become the new Part 1 Local Plan replacing the Aligned Core Strategy. This might seem complicated, but it is important to understand the history and context of where we are now. The clock can’t be turned back, but we can make our voices heard to ensure development is holisitic and provides all the additional infrastructure required to support it. To this end, compliance with the Neighbourhood Plan, Broxtowe’s Part 2 Local Plan (policies 3.1 & 3.2), SM-SPD and the emerging GNSP will be essential.
The Neighbourhood Forum Steering Group will be responding to the Application based upon the Policies and Aspirations of the Neighbourhood Plan (see here for more details) but it is important that you comment directly to Broxtowe through their Planning Portal and copy us through our contact us page. Please remember that your comments are more likely to be taken into account if they are factual, and shouldn’t be over-emotive.
Really don’t think we need any more green space taken away from us we need green space it’s home to animals and birds who inhabited it way before we put concrete on everything
You need to seriously think about the harm you are doing for the sake of greed also the next question is Ironic being as you are set on destroying it
Frankly, I think this is fantastic. I am a looking to be first time buyer whose parents lives in Toton and believe this will be great for the community.i am currently renting a property in stapleford as I had no option to buy a property in Toton with the current state of the housing economy. . I am very upset by the constant negative posts about this development as I think the people making these comments do not understand the need for housing and the difficulty to buy property in this day and age. Many people probably rejected other parts of Toton being built eg the new estate and wouldn’t think otherwise now. I would be happy to speak publicly about the need for this development as I am very passionate about this and believe someone who this will actually affect ( a young keen to be first time buyer) versus an older person stuck in there ways will be able to explain the true positives of this.
Me and my girlfriend currently rent in stapleford after having no option to purchase in Toton even though we have lived here our whole lives. Many comments I see against the development application is about congestion already being unbearable however I would argue this is not the case, the only congestion is ever caused by bardills island and not by traffic and congestion through Toton. I think this development will give many people like me (keen first time buyers) a chance to purchase a property in the place they grew up. Housing is in desperate need across the county and I can see from the planning application that care has been taken to include green spaces and public footpaths so as not to disrupt walking routes as much as possible. I am hoping this development gets approved as I would love to bring up a family in the lovely area I grew up in that is Toton. Which will not be an option if more houses are not built due to the rising house prices as well as the lack of housing available.
I think the idea of building on that land is awful, toton is a lovely community it does not need any more housing neither should be loose any of our green space. Awful idea I and my family certainly do not want any more houses to be built
I cannot see how stapleford can support more housing , more families. Our Drs are full , our schools are full ectthere isn’t the infrastructure to support this application. Could housing planning not be forced to add a school or medical facilities into the new build area plan.
With development of land east of the B6003 there should be a continuation of the pedestrian/cycle path that runs along the south of the tram track from Cator Lane. It needs to be continued from Inham Road in a straight line to the tram terminal. It should be of the same width and surface quality. This is an important and well used route for access to George Spencer school, the garden centre and to Stapleford. The rough path around the car park is unsuitable and not safe.
Whilst I appreciate the need for more housing, there are many issues that need to be addressed before this particular site could be considered suitable for the suggested development.
Aside from a promise of ‘provision for affordable housing’, there is no breakdown of the property types and the mix of these. This leads me to believe the bulk of the properties will be larger ‘executive’ houses, which people further down the property ladder will be unable to afford. In any development, I would expect there to be homes for households of all sizes and many different price points.
There appear to be no proposals for amenities on the site. Residents will have to get to existing medical centres, pharmacies, shops, KS1 and KS2 schools, putting more pressure these already overstretched facilities and on surrounding roads. As there are is no further planned access across the A52 to Stapleford and Sandiacre, use of the facilities here will require more car travel on Stapleford Lane. This puts increasing pressure on Toton amenities if walking or cycling are the proposed means of transport.
There is only one entrance for vehicles to access the proposed site. Stapleford Lane is already incredibly congested at busy times, the access plans for this development will have an extremely negative impact on existing Toton residents trying access the A52 and the tram stop. It is difficult to see how these proposals will do anything to help achieve a zero carbon Broxtowe
There is an unsubstantiated claim on the website of a 10% increase in net biodiversity, it is nonsense to suggest this will be achieved by paving over much of the area, while landscaping and manicuring the rest. The hedgerows and fields are home to many birds and animals. We currently have many mammals such foxes, badgers and hedgehogs visiting the gardens from the fields, small birds nest in the hedgerows and the fields, were they forage for food is also home to pheasants and doves, with sparrow hawks and buzzards circling above.
While there are stated intensions are to build these homes to a high standard, there are no assurances that homes will be zero carbon, only that “the homes will require minimal modifications to achieve zero carbon emissions”. These dwellings should be zero carbon initially rather than relying on homeowners to make these modifications. Solar panels and EV Charging points could be added as standard.
The plans for Toton East have no details on what leisure facilities will be offered, aside from some open space,
These plans for Toton East, in their current form, will only have a negative impact on Toton and offers nothing to existing residents other than increased congestion and more pressure on services.
I totally disagree with the new proposed development. I currently use the green space almost daily and it’s a disgrace that it’s not being protected. I won’t vote for any council memebers who support it. Additionally the new houses built are of poor quality with no gardens, the increased volume of traffic would be unsustainable even with a relief road. If it goes ahead I will be moving out of the area
I just think the amount of houses being planned and no thought to the existing roads is unacceptable. The state of stapleford lane with congestion already is bad enough and both this housing project and the one across from it are both using staplefor Lane for access. Surely they can reach this development from another point to ease the already bad traffic, never mind the pressure on George Spencer. That school is already to big and has trouble managing all the children.
Good morning, I have previously emailed about the proposal of building on land at the top of Toton hill and if this phase goes ahead the impact on local infrastructure will be incomprehensible.
Nowhere is there provision for extra schools, doctor, dentist and these are already over subscribed locally.
Where will everyone go?
The traffic will be a nightmare as more traffic lights will need to be put in the allow access out of the estate onto an already congested road, which at busy times of the day are at a standstill.
On a personal point lots of us walk our dogs around the fields and this will change that, the impact on the wildlife will be huge as well, but it feels that this isn’t even a consideration they just need to build houses and hit targets, but the people making themselves decisions that affect us don’t even live here so they don’t care.
I’m sorry to say but it feels that whatever happens they will be built either side of Stapleford Lane and then within the barracks and Toton will become as big as Chilwell or indeed end up being linked by a road over the bottom of the fields.
We have decided that should this happen we will move away in the next few years, which is a shame as we like living here, but we aren’t prepared to lose our greenbelt and quiet environment for the sake of social housing hitting their target figures for the government.
I’d rather there were offices built there as they would have less impact on the neighborhood as no extra places for services as mentioned, no extra noise at night, and less work for our ever struggling police force.
Maybe the people making these decisions would like to speak directly to the people it affects?
Village hotel or Greenwood Centre depending on how many would turn up.
Having read the Planning Application in detail, I object to the application and have the following comments:
Conformance to Toton & Chetwynd Strategic Masterplan SPD (February 2023)
This application considers only one small part of the the potential developments in Toton and Chetwynd Barracks. It should be rejected until Outline Planning Applications are provided by Chetwynd Barracks and the other landowners in the Strategic Location for Growth.
Transport Infrastructure (P23-2113_toton_east_es_chp9_transport_final)
The conclusion of the Transport Infrastructure study is that this development will have “negligible” impact upon the traffic in the area. Whilst this may be true, the study should (at least) have considered the other areas that this landowner is seeking to develop in the Area and the impact that they will have upon the traffic. These include “Toton West” (420 homes) and “Toton NorthEast” (700 homes) together with the area to the East of this Application (105 homes) which was included in the “local consultation” made by the Applicant. Using the figures included in the Traffic Study. These additional homes would increase the traffic by around 20% which is not “negligible”.
In addition, the decision to vacate Chetwynd Barracks is “imminent” adding a further 1,200 to 1,500 homes and proposals for the land to the north of “Toton West” will also be submitted providing additional housing and proposals for some 18,000sqm of employment, increasing the traffic still further.
Finally, there are proposals to extend the NET across Stapleford Lane (B6003) and to develop a station close to where the HS2 Hub Station was to have been created. The proposed location for the junction providing access to “Toton East” and “Toton West” is approximately 100m from the existing junction to the NET which will mean that the traffic flows will be extremely poor.
It is therefore probable that the proposed junction will be unsuitable in the medium term and will need to be replaced causing extra disruption in the area.
The access to “Toton East” proposed is described as the “Link Road” which will connect to the A52 between Bardill’s Roundabout and Bramcote Island and provide access to the proposed development on Chetwynd Barracks. (N2277_009c coloured planning layout) provides an outline of this Link Road but it is unlikely to be able to handle the traffic that would use it long term.
The Application should be rejected subject to a new comprehensive traffic plan considering the medium to long term needs of all developments in the area.
(Energy statement land at toton east v2)
This is extremely unambitious, the development should be an exemplar of how to create a Net-Zero development
Only 60% of homes are proposed to be equipped with Solar PV: this should be 100% on all East, West and South facing roofs and should include battery storage to smooth the demand and increase the use of PV generated Power
Air Source Heatpumps are proposed: GroundSource heatpumps should be used. Significant groundworks will be undertaken during the development and ground-loops can be installed at that time. Groundsource heatpumps are more efficient, not affected by atmospheric temperatures and do not produce as much external noise.
Choice between “improving the thermal performance of a building” and “providing renewable energy”: new builds should have the highest thermal performance, effective heating systems and sources of renewable energy.
Waste water heat recovery: if this is considered suitable for this development, why has it zero application to the site?
The Application should be rejected until the Applicant submits additional plans for Toton West and Toton NorthEast and the timescales for Applications for Chetwynd Barracks (in part or in full) and the rest of the SLG are known.
