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

Comment

Representation ID: 12979

Received: 28/04/2026

Respondent: Dronfield Civic Society

Dronfield Civic Society has serious concerns about the mandatory housing target of 12,000 houses across the district in the Plan period. We question whether this is realistically deliverable and in all likelihood, we envisage it will mean premature or even unnecessary removal of land from the Green Belt. Land removed from the Green Belt and allocated in the current Local Plan has not resulted in housing delivery in Dronfield. Two allocated sites remain undeveloped, in part because of the challenges of both sites in respect of steep topography, landscape character type and a lack of suitable access solutions.

Although Dronfield is identified as a Priority 1 location for growth, allocations made in the current Local Plan have not delivered the housing expected on those sites due to a number of constraints which must be considered at Refined sites stage. Please see attachment.

Object

Representation ID: 12981

Received: 28/04/2026

Respondent: Dronfield Civic Society

Dronfield Civic Society strongly OBJECTS to the extended site area being allocated for housing development.
Part of the site is allocated, but because of constraints, it has yet to deliver any housing. Given the number of difficulties on this site, noted at Appeal and in particular the steepness of the land, it is our view that an appropriate, acceptable and viable scheme is unlikely to be forthcoming even if the extension were to be allocated. The extension is also very steeply sloping land and the same difficulties will just extend over a larger area.

Comment

Representation ID: 13201

Received: 29/04/2026

Respondent: Dronfield Civic Society

Whilst the Council appear to be adopting a strategy to consider several options for the location of development which is an improvement on the previous rigid spatial strategy of assigning over 50% of development to the four main towns, the Civic Society wishes to make additional points on the location of development. See attached document.