Saturday, 18 February 2012



If you want to complain about any aspect of the Allocation and Development Options Report please write to Newark and Sherwood District Council, Kelham Hall, Newark NG23 5QX

You could send your letter to one of the following:

Cllr Tony Roberts, Council Leader                                                  tony.roberts@nsdc.info

Cllr Roger Blaney, Sustainable Development                                  roger.blaney@nsdc.info

Alternatively you could speak to a Councillor or a council officer - call 01636 650000

Key things to complain about:

We need a proper traffic survey – the Council has used old, out-of-date traffic figures in the development plan. The figures they use grossly underestimate the amount of traffic in the village, even before new houses are added. We are demanding a new independent traffic survey to show how the village can’t cope with any more cars and lorries.

We need a Conservation Study – Blidworth is an ancient village with a conservation area and sites of historic interest but the Council hasn’t carried out a conservation study to assess the impact of any new development. We say the Council need to conduct an immediate, independent study and act to conserve the village.

The over-development is unfair – Blidworth has already seen significant housing development throughout the last two decades, as well as a wind farm that no-one else would have. It seems that what’s bad for the rest of Newark and Sherwood is good enough for us. We are demanding to know exactly how much development has taken place in Blidworth and the Mansfield Fringe compared to everywhere else in the district, and why.

Consultation with the public has been a joke – the Council have made it very difficult for local residents to have their say. They listened to landowners and they listened to builders and developers but they haven’t listened to the people of Blidworth. We say the Council should come clean on its consultation and acknowledge the level of opposition in the village. They should listen to the people and put a halt to the current plans.

Local democratic institutions have been ignored – the Council has refused to consider the submission made by the Parish Council at the start of the development planning process which opposed the Council’s attempt to develop the village. We say if the Council treats local democracy with contempt what does that say about its attitude to local people?

Next Step

We need to get these complaints into the council and illicit satisfactory responses from them. Using their responses, we will then be in a position to approach the Local Government Ombudsman with a raft of issues aimed squarely at the NSDC planning processes.


Check the blog, facebook etc for more information and guidance as we have it.



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