The Mill Hill, Barton in Fabis allocation (MP2p) is being determined as a planning application by both Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council (17/00930/PMFUL3) as the site straddles the boundaries between the two mineral authorities. Approx. 11 hectares of the site is within the City boundary which equates to approx. 12% of the whole proposed site.

There are numerous concerns raised in the consultation of the planning applications about the information submitted and the potential harm arising from the proposed development from a range of technical and statutory consultees including both Minerals Authorities determining the individual applications.

In the determination of the planning application recent letters have been sent by Nottinghamshire County Council as the lead mineral authority setting out identified harms of the development, inviting the applicant to address these matters as the application currently does not incorporate sufficient information to reach an informed conclusion regarding the significance of these environmental and amenity impacts.

Specifically, serious concerns are raised about the impact of the development in its current form on the Green Belt which is considered to be ‘inappropriate development’ and which is by definition harmful to the Green Belt. Strong concerns are also raised about habitat loss including impacts on Local Wildlife Sites and SSSIs in and close to the site. Further concerns are also raised about ecological impacts on protected species. The potential impacts on heritage assets also raises deep concerns including likely harm to setting of Clifton Hall (Grade 1) and its Registered Parks and Garden (Grade 2) both through the extraction and restoration phases of development. There are also concerns that the development could cause unacceptable landscape and visual impacts and lesser concern on air quality, public amenity, rights of ways and loss of some best and most versatile agricultural land.

It is acknowledged that a request has been made to the applicant to provide additional information and to amend the scheme to try and overcome these issues. The NPPF is also clear that it is essential that there is a sufficient supply of minerals to provide the infrastructure, buildings, energy and goods that the country needs. However, a balanced judgement needs to be made about all the conflicting issues and any potential adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment or human health in the allocation of minerals sites. The City Council is of the view that in light of these significant strong concerns, they are so substantive as to make the allocation of the Mill Hill site unjustified and unsound.