NEDDC Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation on the Strategic Approach to the Location of Development and Refined Sites (March 2026)

Upon reviewing the Location of Development and Refined Schedule of Sites document and the associated materials, the Parish Council notes with concern that the Shirland and Higham Parish Neighbourhood Plan has not been adequately considered or afforded the weight of recognition that it should. The Council respectfully requests that the Shirland and Higham Parish Neighbourhood Plan be thoroughly reviewed and its content noted and adhered to.
The Parish Council was advised that the adopted Neighbourhood Plan would hold considerable influence, yet Councillors are concerned that its provisions have not been sufficiently considered and in some ways blatantly ignored. The settlement gaps outlined in the plan are of considerable importance and merit preservation.
The Parish Council respectfully opposes the classification of Shirland, Mickley and Stonebroom as a single ‘cluster’. Each village possesses its own unique identity and specific needs. The residents in the various settlements use different doctors, medical facilities and schools etc and accordingly, should be recognised and addressed individually.
There are also worries about how the changes will affect the semi-rural nature of our parish, and cause damage to the landscape. Additionally, the parish’s heritage and the local wildlife have not been given any consideration.
The Parish Council finds the proposed scale of development unsuitable for the area. The existing road infrastructure is unlikely to accommodate the increased traffic resulting from the number of new houses suggested, the A61 in particular has become a procession of traffic and at peak times becomes an intolerable burden for those travelling towards Chesterfield or Alfreton and the A38 southbound. The Council has significant concerns regarding safety on these roads, due to the volume of traffic it is expected to accommodate, even considering the recent speed limit reduction and speed indicator devices that the Parish Council have had installed.
Local services like doctors and schools would struggle to handle the influx from the hundreds of new homes proposed, and on past experience the roads within developments are not adopted by the County Council, thereby storing up maintenance issues for the future.
Sewage and adequately dealing with surface water is a further issue. Flooding remains a real concern within the Parish; some residents are already experiencing major flooding problems at their properties resulting from poor drainage planning and inadequate challenge by the Planning Authority of the flood risk assessments provided by the developers on recently built housing developments. It is manifestly unfair that downstream residences should have to deal with flooding issues caused by development on higher ground, while the local authority and the water authority hide behind Riparian.
Another, and often overlooked aspect of development is the upheaval, disruption to daily life and impairment of air quality for residents local to the build sites. If we also add in the proposed new Severn Trent Water tank construction just outside Higham village and the erection of pylons and associated infrastructure along the proposed pylon route for the Grid Upgrade Project, Shirland, Higham, Mickley and Stonebroom will be nothing short of a massive construction site for the foreseeable future even without further housing being considered. Ongoing damage caused by heavy construction traffic to an already crumbling and badly maintained road network is of great concern. How much more can be inflicted on our community?

Upon reviewing the Location of Development and Refined Schedule of Sites document and the associated materials, the Parish Council notes with concern that the Shirland and Higham Parish Neighbourhood Plan has not been adequately considered or afforded the weight of recognition that it should. The Council respectfully requests that the Shirland and Higham Parish Neighbourhood Plan be thoroughly reviewed and its content noted and adhered to.
The Parish Council was advised that the adopted Neighbourhood Plan would hold considerable influence, yet Councillors are concerned that its provisions have not been sufficiently considered and in some ways blatantly ignored. The settlement gaps outlined in the plan are of considerable importance and merit preservation.
The Parish Council respectfully opposes the classification of Shirland, Mickley and Stonebroom as a single ‘cluster’. Each village possesses its own unique identity and specific needs. The residents in the various settlements use different doctors, medical facilities and schools etc and accordingly, should be recognised and addressed individually.
There are also worries about how the changes will affect the semi-rural nature of our parish, and cause damage to the landscape. Additionally, the parish’s heritage and the local wildlife have not been given any consideration.
The Parish Council finds the proposed scale of development unsuitable for the area. The existing road infrastructure is unlikely to accommodate the increased traffic resulting from the number of new houses suggested, the A61 in particular has become a procession of traffic and at peak times becomes an intolerable burden for those travelling towards Chesterfield or Alfreton and the A38 southbound. The Council has significant concerns regarding safety on these roads, due to the volume of traffic it is expected to accommodate, even considering the recent speed limit reduction and speed indicator devices that the Parish Council have had installed.
Local services like doctors and schools would struggle to handle the influx from the hundreds of new homes proposed, and on past experience the roads within developments are not adopted by the County Council, thereby storing up maintenance issues for the future.
Sewage and adequately dealing with surface water is a further issue. Flooding remains a real concern within the Parish; some residents are already experiencing major flooding problems at their properties resulting from poor drainage planning and inadequate challenge by the Planning Authority of the flood risk assessments provided by the developers on recently built housing developments. It is manifestly unfair that downstream residences should have to deal with flooding issues caused by development on higher ground, while the local authority and the water authority hide behind Riparian.
Another, and often overlooked aspect of development is the upheaval, disruption to daily life and impairment of air quality for residents local to the build sites. If we also add in the proposed new Severn Trent Water tank construction just outside Higham village and the erection of pylons and associated infrastructure along the proposed pylon route for the Grid Upgrade Project, Shirland, Higham, Mickley and Stonebroom will be nothing short of a massive construction site for the foreseeable future even without further housing being considered. Ongoing damage caused by heavy construction traffic to an already crumbling and badly maintained road network is of great concern. How much more can be inflicted on our community?