Challenge to developer's claims in application for large new estate

A planning application from Avant Homes would see 296 homes go up on a site off Thurnscoe Bridge Lane, on a green field site adjacent to Derry Grove.

There are concerns in the village not primarily about the construction of new homes, but the village’s infrastructure.

It has been argued in a response to the application that there is too little space in local schools, too few facilities like doctors and dentists and a road system which would have problems taking increased volumes of traffic.

An objection challenges the assertion that Thurnsoce is a ‘highly sustainable settlement with a wide range of services’, stating ‘No, we don’t. We currently have one doctors’ surgery one dentist, two primary schools, one secondary school which feeds from Thurnscoe Highgate, Goldthorpe and Bolton on Dearne.

“There is a housing estate that is still being developed in Thurnsoce, with approximately 1,000 houses (replacing 450 that were demolished).

“This means a minimum of 800 plus new residents from the two new housing estates.

“The majority will have children and the schools are already at bursting point. Current residents have to send their children to schools outside of their catchment area as they can’t get them into the schools within the village.

“This is also the same for the secondary school.”

The objection casts doubt of whether contributions made by the developer would be enough to address the need for those facilities.

The condition of roads connecting the village to the A635 is also highlighted, with a warning that additional traffic will cause further deterioration.

Access to the site “is going to be extremely dangerous; the turn is going to to be within 100 yards of a really bad bend.

“There have been a number of accidents on that bend over the last few years, some of them quite serious,” states the objection.

It also questions whether the estate would meet the needs of villagers, with only 30 of the new homes deemed ‘affordable’ and only eight of those affordable to first time buyers.

A decision on the application will be made later.