𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙏 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿

𝟭. 𝙐𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 - 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

SKHGB has now submitted its detailed review of the updated National Planning Policy Framework to Amber Valley Borough Council. It explains how the new Green Belt and grey belt policies should apply to AVA/2025/0587 and why our main concerns about the development remain.

You can read our submission here:

Save Kilburn and Horsley’s Green Belt (SKHGB) Supplementary Planning Representation

We are still waiting for Wheeldon’s updated Supporting Planning Statement and will report back once we have reviewed it.

𝟮. 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙-𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed the government to prioritising brownfield sites and public land for new housing. This supports SKHGB’s case that national housing targets do not automatically justify development on this unallocated Green Belt site, particularly when Amber Valley has a recently adopted Local Plan, a 5.80-year housing supply and a Housing Delivery Test result of 173%. Although the announcement does not change planning policy or prevent all Green Belt development, we will use it alongside our stronger arguments on Green Belt protection, housing delivery, infrastructure and sustainability.

𝟯. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

We have reviewed transport information submitted for another Wheeldon development in Amber Valley and identified questions that are also relevant to AVA/2025/0587. AVBC and Derbyshire County Council must check what has changed between different versions, whether the proposals are genuinely deliverable and whether important highway plans are based on accurate surveys. SKHGB is tracking every concern raised by DCC Highways and whether it has been fully resolved.

𝟰. 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙨 - 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮

AVBC is formally reviewing its response to our information request about the repeated changes to the application’s anticipated decision date. The review is being overseen by the Borough Solicitor and will consider whether further recorded information should be released. The Council has up to 40 working days to respond, and we will update residents when it does.

𝟱. 𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

SKHGB has asked Amber Valley MP Linsey Farnsworth to oppose the Government’s plan to split Amber Valley and support keeping the borough together within the proposed northern authority. We are concerned that placing Kilburn, Horsley and other local communities in the southern authority could increase pressure for housing without enough consideration of infrastructure, services, the Green Belt or village character. The MP has sent a holding response promising a fuller reply soon, and we will continue pressing for clear answers.

𝟲. 𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚

Every share helps more local people stay informed about this application and what it could mean for our area. Please share this post and invite friends, neighbours and family members to follow the page. Let us know if there is anything you would like us to cover in a future update.

𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙂 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿

𝟭. 𝙐𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 - 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

Last week we reported that SKHGB had completed its detailed review of the updated National Planning Policy Framework.

We have now submitted our findings to Amber Valley Borough Council as a Supplementary Planning Representation. It explains how we believe planning application AVA/2025/0587 should be assessed under the new national policies, particularly the revised Green Belt and grey belt tests.

Although the updated framework changes parts of the assessment, it does not remove the main planning concerns about this development.

You can read our full submission here:

Save Kilburn and Horsley’s Green Belt

We are still waiting for Wheeldon’s updated Supporting Planning Statement. We will examine it carefully and report back to residents once it has been received.

𝟮. 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙-𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed his government to a “brownfield-first” approach to housing and greater use of public land. Responding to a question about Green Belt protection at PMQs on 2 September, he said this was the approach he had followed in Greater Manchester and would now pursue nationally.

This supports SKHGB’s position that national housing ambitions do not justify automatically approving speculative development on this unallocated Green Belt site. Amber Valley has a recently adopted Local Plan, a 5.80-year housing supply and a Housing Delivery Test result of 173%, so AVA/2025/0587 must be judged against the proper Green Belt and sustainability tests.

The announcement is useful political support, but it does not change the August 2026 NPPF or prevent all Green Belt development.

We will therefore include it as part of our wider case, alongside our stronger arguments concerning Green Belt policy, housing delivery, infrastructure and whether this is genuinely a sustainable location.

𝟯. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

SKHGB has reviewed transport material relating to a separate Wheeldon planning application elsewhere in Amber Valley. Although each application must be assessed on its own evidence, the review has highlighted several important questions that are equally relevant to AVA/2025/0587.

Where Wheeldon submits revised transport assessments, plans or mitigation proposals, AVBC and Derbyshire County Council should examine what has changed, why it changed and whether earlier assumptions or proposals have been amended or abandoned. Measures relying on third-party land or access rights must also be shown to be genuinely deliverable, while critical highway layouts should be supported by measured surveys rather than indicative drawings alone.

SKHGB is maintaining a record of every concern raised by DCC Highways and is tracking whether each one has been fully resolved, partly resolved or remains outstanding.

𝟰. 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙨 - 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮

As a reminder, SKHGB asked AVBC to reconsider its response to our Environmental Information Regulations request concerning the repeated extensions to the anticipated decision date for planning application AVA/2025/0587.

The matter has been referred to the Borough Solicitor, and the Council has agreed to review its original response, the searches carried out and whether any further recorded information should be disclosed.

The outcome is not yet due, as AVBC has a statutory period of up to 40 working days to complete the reconsideration. We will examine its response carefully and update residents when it is received.

𝟱. 𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

On 30 July, SKHGB wrote to Amber Valley MP Linsey Farnsworth about the Government’s decision to divide Amber Valley between two proposed unitary authorities.

The letter argued that Amber Valley should remain intact and join the northern authority. It raised concerns that placing Kilburn, Horsley and other southern Amber Valley communities within the proposed southern authority could weaken local identity and lead to increased pressure from future housing allocations without sufficient regard for infrastructure, services, Green Belt policy or village character.

The MP was asked whether she supports the split, whether she will press the Government to reconsider and whether she will seek publication of the evidence used to justify the decision.

We have now received a holding response, stating an intention to respond very soon.

We will continue pressing for clear answers and ensuring that the potential consequences for Kilburn, Horsley and the surrounding communities are not overlooked.

𝟲. 𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚

Every share helps more local people stay informed and involved.

SKHGB is already reaching a significant number of households across Kilburn and Horsley, but many residents may still be unaware of the scale of this application and what it could mean for our area.

If you value clear, factual updates, please share this post and invite friends, neighbours and family members to follow the page.

Please also let us know if there is anything you would particularly like us to cover in a future update.