Planning for our future housing needs

: Thursday, 14 June 2012 06:46

Local people are to be given another chance to have their say on where 4,400 new homes will be built in the Derbyshire Dales by the year 2028.

Housing Options in the Derbyshire Dales That's the target number for new homes needed in the Dales to meet future housing demands and today (14 June) Derbyshire Dales District Council starts a six-week public consultation on where developments should happen.

To meet the 4,400 target, land for housing needs to be allocated in the forthcoming Derbyshire Dales Local Plan, with the provisional distribution projecting 270 new homes in Matlock, 60 in Wirksworth, 160 in Darley Dale, 30 in Tansley, 400 in Ashbourne, 50 in Doveridge and 50 in Brailsford.

The District Council has organised a series of public exhibitions and public meetings to enable residents to discuss issues with planning officers and make their comments known.

Leaflets are available to view and download about the Housing Options [PDF 1.23MB] and the Settlement Framework Boundary Review [PDF 1.9MB]

Leader of Derbyshire Dales District Council, Councillor Lewis Rose OBE said:

Finding sites to meet the long term housing needs of the Derbyshire Dales is always an incredibly sensitive issue, especially where there is a strong sense of community.

The District Council has already listened to the views of local communities, and will be listening again during this consultation on housing options. We really do welcome feedback and encourage local people to make a point of visiting our exhibitions. To make it even easier to comment, we've also set up online forms.

The preparation of the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan is a democratic process and the views of residents will be taken into account.

While local people are understandably concerned about developments that might happen close to where they live, Council Tax payers continue to list the provision of housing that meets local needs as their top priority – and we have delivered by enabling in the past 10 years 950 new affordable homes for local people.

The bottom line therefore is that 4,400 new homes must be built by 2028 to meet the future housing needs of the Derbyshire Dales. The District Council's task is to balance the need to maintain the quality and character of the area with the housing needs of our children and grandchildren.

As part of this public consultation views on revised Settlement Frameworks Boundaries are also being sought.

Comment online about the boundary review proposals and also have your say online on the housing options proposals

Exhibitions and public meetings

Here are the Housing Options exhibition dates and venues:

Mon 18 June: Ashbourne Leisure Centre, Community Room Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Tue 19 June: Brailsford Institute Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Thu 21 June: Matlock Imperial Rooms Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Tue 26 June: Wirksworth Memorial Hall Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Wed 27 June: Tansley Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Thu 28 June: Doveridge Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Wed 4 July: Darley Dale, Terrace Room, Whitworth Centre1 Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm

Here's the full list of events planned for views on revised Settlement Frameworks Boundaries:

Mon 18 June: Ashbourne Leisure Centre Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Tue 19 June: Brailsford Institute Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Thu 21 June: Matlock Imperial Rooms Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Tue 26 June: Wirksworth Memorial Hall Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Wed 27 June: Tansley Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Thu 28 June: Doveridge Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Mon 2 July: Bonsall Village Hall & Kniveton Church Lobby Exhibition 2-6pm (both venues)
Tue 3 July: Cromford Institute Exhibition 2-6pm
Wed 4 July: Darley Dale, Terrace Room, Whitworth Centre1 Exhibition 2-6pm, Public Meeting 7-9pm
Wed 4 July: Matlock Bath Community Centre Exhibition 2-6pm
Thu 5 July: Brassington Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm
Fri 6 July: Hulland Ward Millennium Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm
Mon 9 July: Clifton Village Hall Exhibition 2-6pm
Tue 10 July Marston Montgomery Village Hall & Sudbury Parish Rooms Exhibition 2-6pm (both venues)
Wed 11 July: Middleton by Wirksworth Village Hall & Rowsley Methodist Church Exhibition 2-6pm (both venues)
Thu 12 July: Kirk Ireton Village Hall & Longford Pump Room Exhibition 2-6pm (both venues)

Information will also be available at Matlock, Wirksworth and Ashbourne Libraries during normal opening hours.

Since 2002, Derbyshire Dales District Council has enabled 950 new affordable homes for local people.
Recent housing statistics reveal Derbyshire Dales District Council built more homes than the major urban areas of Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, and the fourth highest number of homes in the whole East Midlands region.