𝗦𝗞𝗛𝗚𝗕 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

We updated you last week on three important developments:

• A statutory consultee response from National Highways regarding the Strategic Road Network
• A statutory consultee response from Derbyshire County Council regarding strategic infrastructure
• A relevant AVBC planning decision for a site in Kirk Langley

Below is a quick update on our activity.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲

As a reminder, National Highways has not approved this development. The onus now rests with Wheeldon to address the concerns that have been raised. National Highways identified 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 in the Transport Assessment and requested further evidence before it can reach a final conclusion.

It is important to remember that National Highways' remit is limited to the Strategic Road Network, principally the A38. Local highway impacts - including traffic on Horsley Road, Tants Meadow, school routes, pedestrian safety, existing village congestion, sustainability, infrastructure capacity and the cumulative impacts of development - fall outside its assessment. 𝗦𝗞𝗛𝗚𝗕 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Furthermore, the highly critical response from Derbyshire County Council, as Local Highway Authority, issued in February 2026, remains outstanding. Wheeldon has yet to provide a substantive response addressing the significant concerns identified in that report.

𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘆𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲

Derbyshire County Council has now submitted its updated Strategic Infrastructure response, and it raises some of the strongest concerns seen to date.

As a reminder, DCC concludes that, in its current form, the 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗡𝗣𝗣𝗙) because it fails to provide safe, attractive and realistic alternatives to private car use.

DCC and the NHS have also identified a wide range of Section 106 and other infrastructure obligations. The total mitigation burden on Wheeldon could ultimately exceed £7.1 million and may approach £9 million once all necessary infrastructure contributions are taken into account.

On 2 July, SKHGB will undertake a detailed survey of the public rights of way, with particular focus on Footpath 6 at Woodhouse Road. We will document existing pinch points, width restrictions and accessibility barriers to assess whether the proposed mitigation is genuinely realistic, deliverable and capable of providing an inclusive route for all users.

DCC's response reinforces SKHGB's long-standing position that the proposal remains fundamentally flawed. We will continue to scrutinise the evidence, challenge any attempt to downplay these issues, and ensure that every infrastructure, sustainability and accessibility concern is fully considered before any planning decision is made.

𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵: 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗸 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹 - 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 & 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

Wheeldon has moved away from its earlier Grey Belt and housing land supply arguments and now relies primarily on the delivery of 73 affordable homes as its claimed "Very Special Circumstances" for development on established Green Belt.

This week, SKHGB submitted a formal objection (reference 1526956) challenging that argument. Our objection explains that the need for affordable housing is neither new nor exceptional. It was fully recognised during the examination of Amber Valley's recently adopted Local Plan, yet the Council deliberately chose not to allocate this site for development and retained the Green Belt boundary.

Affordable housing is an important public benefit, but it cannot now be relied upon to override a recently adopted Local Plan or automatically outweigh Green Belt policy and the significant unresolved highways, sustainability and infrastructure concerns identified by statutory consultees.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲

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