Burns Rise Plan : Victory for residents and councillors

A government appointed Planning Inspector has dismissed the appeal lodged by developers behind the proposed "Burns Rise" housing development in Dronfield - a plan that would have seen 132 homes built off land Chesterfield Road and Burns Drive.

The scheme was originally refused by NE Derbyshire District Council in September, 2024 following significant concerns from residents, planning officers and local councillors. Grounds for refusal included poor design quality, a failure to provide appropriate compensatory improvements to the Green Belt and negative impacts on residential amenity. The developer appealed the decision earlier this year, but in a strongly-worded decision, the Planning Inspector has backed the Council and community.

The Inspector concluded that the proposed layout and street pattern represented poor design, that the development would lead to significant overlooking and amenity loss, and that the affordable housing was inadequately provided and poorly integrated into the wider scheme.

Councillor Alex Dale welcomed the news: "This is a huge result for local residents and a really important example of what can be achieved when communities stand together. We've been clear from the start that this design was not right for Dronfield, the design was out of keeping with the area, the impact on neighbours was unacceptable, and there was little thought given to how affordable housing would be delivered properly."

"We're incredibly grateful to the many residents who made their voices heard during every stage of the process and to the council's planning and legal teams for defending the decision so effectively at the hearing."

Town Councillors Angelique Foster, Marie Ireland and District Councillor William Jones added their thanks to residents and reiterated their commitment to continuing to oppose inappropriate development in the town.