Buxton group submits petition from hundreds of residents against Hogshaw housing plans

As previously reported, the Friends of Hogshaw (FoH) group is leading opposition to a planning application from Barratt Homes for a 13.5 acre site north of St Peter’s Church and Hogshaw Rec, and west of the new A6 roundabout.

They have now isited Buxton Town Hall to present the names of 321 local residents calling for High Peak Borough Council to reject the plans.

A spokesperson for the group said: “Friends of Hogshaw are concerned that the proposed development of 116 houses on Nunbrook Farm may be a first phase of building as indicated in the Barratt plans.

“We therefore will continue to campaign to save Hogshaw for the benefit of local residents who use the area for leisure and recreation. We are strongly opposed to any further infringement or loss of additional rewilded land that now makes up Hogshaw. We would also like to see the council support retention and protection of this land as an area of nature recovery, vital as a buffer to the adjacent area of the A6 that has recorded high levels of dangerous air pollution.”

The submitted application outlines plans for 81 three-bed homes, 24 four-bed and ten two-bed, and includes a financial assessment stating the development would not be viable if Barratt were to include any so-called affordable housing.

The land was earmarked for residential use in the Local Plan, adopted by the council seven years ago, provisionally allocating it for 124 new homes, 30 per cent of which would be affordable.

However, FoH argues that process was based on partial information about major flooding incidents which have hit streets downstream of the site over the past 50 years, and could become more frequent and more intense as the climate crisis escalates.

While the planning documents do reference measures to mitigate flooding risk on the development – diverting water into the brook – some nearby neighbours say that not enough thought has been given to the wider area which could be affected if the development site is no longer able to soak up as much water.

The FoH spokesperson said: “The petition was taken door to door in the area most affected by flooding and designated a high risk zone. We are concerned the impact of the housing development, that will result in rainfall run off into Nun Brook will be on the residents in the lower Lightwood Road area who may suffer increased incidences of flooding.

“In the course of taking the petition around we heard many concerns by residents who had been affected by previous floods. One resident of Hogshaw Villas Road said they lost irreplaceable items, such as family photos, children's artwork and keepsakes. The stress and time it took to carry out the reparation work had a big emotional impact on the family. We heard similar stories at many houses we visited.”

They added: “The group became aware that the council do not appear to hold records of flooding in the area prior to 2019 and therefore are concerned that when the Local Plan was drawn up in 2016 this was not factored in to land put forward for development.

“It feels like residents in the flood risk area have been ignored by Barratts as they were not included in the consultation process. This is why Friends of Hogshaw decided to set up another petition to give people a voice and way of expressing concern about the impact 116 additional houses upstream could have on their homes and livelihoods.”

The group have also expressed concern over the length of the consultation period in which the community can lodge formal objections, ending on July 6, saying more time would allow better scrutiny of the flooding risk and other issues.

Councillor Rachel Quinn, who represents the site’s Barms ward, has previously echoed the concerns raised by FoH, and together with Councillor Madeline Hall, representing the Corbar ward downstream, has submitted written objections to the proposals.

Responding to the residents’ petition this week, Labour colleague Godfrey Claff, executive councillor for community safety and planning, insisted all the proper processes are being followed.

He said: “The public consultation period on the application is in accordance with statutory requirements and all comments received will be taken into account when the application is determined. The council is consulting with the lead local flood authority and the Environment Agency with regard to flooding concerns.”

When contacted by the Buxton Advertiser, Barratt Homes’ regional office did not reply to requests for comment, but the company has previously stressed the potential benefits of the scheme.

Documents submitted with the application state: “The delivery of new housing on an allocated site, and in an accessible location has economic benefits in the form of new direct and indirect employment opportunities during the construction stage, and also throughout the lifetime of the development through increased household spending in Buxton and the local area.

“There will also be ecological benefits, in the form of measurable net gains in biodiversity and the development would give the provision of a segregated bridleway to form a section of the White Peak Loop. The application should be approved without delay.”

For more information on the planning application, including flood risk assessments, detailed submissions from Barratt Homes and residents’ objections, search for application HPK/2023/0192 at highpeak.gov.uk.