Builders home in on village
ASTON-on-Trent will expand by up to 42 more homes after councillors unanimously agreed they should be built – but now different developers are asking to put as many as 150 more in the village. At January’s South Derbyshire District Council Planning Committee meeting in Swadlincote proposals for up to 42 homes on Moor Lane in Aston were given the green light. The parcel of land had been earmarked for housing in the Local Plan – the document that sets out where houses can be built in this area – but council planners had also received 44 letters of objection from residents and the parish council. Only one resident wrote in support of the proposals. The rest had outlined lengthy complaints. Local people said too many homes were being proposed – the number originally allocated by housing chiefs for that section of land being 37, which was then increased to 42 – that the land flooded; that school and doctors’ provision was stretched; and that the development created access points to further fields leading to fears they would be built on too. Resident Rob Bell told the meeting that the site was actively used agricultural land currently outside the village boundary. “We don’t think that this area is necessary to be approved and should be rejected,” he said. In addition, he said people feared for the safety of children from construction traffic turning into the site which was only 100 yards from Aston-on-Trent Primary School. Dr Robert Wickham, a chartered surveyor speaking on behalf of the developer, said: “It’s a sustainable site in a key service village, it’s not in any way premature – it’s part of the planning process.” The development features one and a half storey homes on one side to mitigate the impact on neighbours. Aston councillor Peter Watson told the meeting: “We have gone through many years to produce a Local Plan of which part one has been approved and we’re in the process of doing part two – this particular site has been designated as an area for housing in Aston … looking at the
drawing, the developer has come up with a very attractive proposal.” Voting to green light the plans, councillors also asked for an orchard to be created on site which would help soak up water. In addition, the developer will pay £91,192.08 to create more classroom space at Aston’s primary school, plus £158,940.72 to accommodate pupils at Chellaston Academy, and £15,977 to build two extra treatment rooms at Alvaston GP surgery, which is where Aston patients go. Meanwhile, Aston’s residents have received leaflets through their doors informing them of proposals by Gladman developers to build up to 150 homes on Weston Road. Gladman’s leaflet told readers: “We are the most successful land promoter in the UK, obtaining planning permission on over 90% of the sites we promote.” The developer has suggested that, as well as devoting 30 per cent of the site to affordable homes, it will also provide land for a new GP surgery for Aston. Sharon Bowler, chair of local residents’ group SAVE, told the Village Voice: “We are very disappointed that developers seem to think they can flout the rules of the Local Plan. The Local Plan is there to protect everybody and it’s disappointing that they think they can just bombard their way through. “It’s far too many houses for Aston. We were allocated 42 under Plan 2 and we were allocated Richmond Homes – the housing that’s going on the hospital site. “I’m not saying we are full up, everybody has to expand, but we have had our fair share and we are going to lose our village feel if we keep expanding too quickly.” – Lucy Stephens
40s music night
BREEDON WI is holding a 40s night of music and supper with Natalie Nightingale at Melbourne Assembly Rooms on April 7. The Breedon ladies started their programme this year with a talk from Alan Tyler from the National Trust, who presented an illustrated tour of Calke Abbey.
Brizlincote
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Village Voice February 2017 15
The feet of learning
l SITTING COMFORTABLY ... Toby Fern, Lois Toone, Lacey Green and Jacob Reynolds with teacher Samantha Johnson.
THE head of a small Derbyshire primary school which made international headlines after allowing children to wear slippers in the classroom has said staff were “stunned” by the media attention attracted by the unusual learning policy. Findern Primary School was featured extensively on national TV and in the print press because of its policy of “shoelessness”, launched after the school found it improved children’s learning. The story even found its way into overseas titles such as The Indian Express and Nigeria Sun. Head teacher Emma Titchener said: “We have been stunned by the media attention, particularly when we were not only in virtually every national newspaper and on almost every major television channel and radio station, but also in the international press, too. “It was an amazing experience for the children, who were so excited. The support from our parents and carers has been unprecedented and we are very grateful for this. “Hopefully no-one will ever say, so where is Findern Primary School after this week!”
Findern Primary School is trialling a policy of children wearing slippers inside its school building after Mrs Titchener read research by Bournemouth University which found significant benefits to children’s learning in a “shoeless environment”. While slipper-wearing is not compulsory in the school at the moment, it may become so in the future if it is found to be of learning benefit. Mrs Titchener said: “We have very high expectations of our children's behaviour and academic performance and this is not a school uniform issue, it is only about enhancing our children's learning. Our children outperform the national average at the end of key stage two. However, we are a forward thinking school, where we believe in considering current educational research and implementing changes that will make a difference to the education of our pupils. “Children are more receptive to learning when they are comfortable and calm. We have found that children are more relaxed and comfortable when wearing slippers in school and this makes them more receptive to learning and therefore more likely to learn.”
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