The application for houses on land opposite 91 to 119 Dale Road was turned down by members of High Peak Borough Council's development control committee at a meeting on Monday night. Permission had been sought for the construction of 12, three storey properties.

Councillors had heard residents voice concern over road safety – and one member of the committee called work already completed on the site "an act of vandalism."

The site was given outline planning permission for 14 dwellings in April 2005 but full planning permission has not been granted.
High Peak Borough Council authorised enforcement action on the site at the end of April after work carried out by developers Bel-Air homes went beyond that agreed in the outline application.

The site is home to rare grasses and flowers, some of which had been damaged as a result of the work carried out – despite it being protected as a designated Derbyshire Wildlife site for its rare limestone dale plants.

Cllr Mike Harrison said: "What they have been doing is an act of vandalism."

Dale Road resident Kevin Bradd said road safety had not ben given enough weight: "Any resident of Dale Road knows access and egress from this site is very difficult. With this site in particular, any development there would mean people have to turn right to get down the road or if they are coming down the road they would have to turn right onto the site.

"That manoeuvre is incredibly dangerous given the speed and volume of traffic on this road. This site is wholly inappropriate for development."

For the developer, Nick Grace, of Savills Nottingham, asked councillors to defer the decision to allow further discussions.

But Cllr Emily Thrane said: "Given the history of this site I would have thought that any developer would want to get the details right before putting the application in.

"I totally agree with what the residents have said about safety and move that we refuse the application."