More than 150 new homes approved for former High Peak College site

Harpur Hill college site from Burlow Road which has been sold to developers.

The new estate will include 81 two-bedroom, 65 three-bedroom and seven four-bedroom houses.

Sixteen per cent of the new homes provided on site will be affordable ‘starter homes’.

The now demolished former ‘eyesore’ High Peak College site will be accessed ‘predominantly’ via Burlow Road.

However a ‘limited number of plots’ to the east and north of the site will accessed via residential streets to the west.

Main objections to the application were 153 homes was considerably more than the 105 set out in the local plan and increased dwellings would increase the risk of accidents on the area’s narrow roads.

Richard Houghton, a civil engineer who lives on Grinlow Road - one of only three roads into the village - told a planning meeting at Chapel-en-le Frith Town Hall on Monday the ‘substandard’ nature of the road was ‘an elephant in the room’.

He said: “Grinlow Road is the access to Harpur Hill Industrial Estate.

“For entertainment I don’t watch television - I just watch the highway outside my house.

“Between my house and the village cars regularly hit each other.”

Councillor Anthony McKeown said he was ‘concerned about the low percentage of affordable housing’ however a planning officer at the meeting pointed out that it would not be commercially viable for Persimmon Homes to provide more than 16 per went.

Councillor Robert McKeown said nearly all the objections to the plan had been ‘covered’.

He added: “The developer has said they will start building within 12 months - so we can get some of the starter homes.”

Councillor Graham Oakley pointed out that there were no one-bedroom flats included in the plans - out of step with the land availability assessment - but a planning officer pointed out that provision was already met by Buxton.

Adele Jacques, Strategic Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, said the site had been assessed as part of the local plan as suitable been derelict for ‘many years’.

She said: “We’ve provided a deciaated right-turn to allow free flow of traffic.

“It’s the regeneration of a brownfield site with new starter homes.”

To see the full planning officer’s report on the development visit democracy.highpeak.gov.uk.