A number of people, both from Tollerton and further afield, have reached out to me as Labour’s parliamentary candidate to ask about my views on the planned development at Nottingham City Airport.

 

As many of you will know, planning decisions are a devolved matter so despite claims and suggestions to the contrary, your next MP will have limited influence over planning outcomes, other than writing letters to express their opinion and to apply pressure – just like members of the public. This is why some MPs choose not to express views on any planning applications, only on planning law.

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However, as a Council Leader, I have just overseen a Local Plan being adopted in North Nottinghamshire. I have also chaired a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, so I find planning matters interesting. I believe that an MP’s voice can be useful in constructively challenging the local planning authority to produce a Local Plan that works as effectively as possible for residents, while respecting the autonomy of the local planning authority and its elected representatives to make independent, informed decisions.

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THE PLANNING HISTORY OF THE SITE

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On the specifics of planned development at Nottingham City Airport, it is important to be clear and truthful. The land at Nottingham City Airport was removed from the green belt with the adoption of the Core Strategy in 2014. This document has had planning weight ever since. Since 2014, there have been three elections in 2015, 2019 and 2023 when the same Borough Council has been re-elected with the same representation in the impacted areas. On this basis, it would appear that local people either didn't realise what was proposed (which raises questions about the consultation process) or that they support the overall position.

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Nationally, at this election, Labour has very clearly said that we should be prioritising brownfield and grey belt development over the green belt where possible. I think this is a position that is universally supported in all parts of the country. However, this particular site has already been removed from the green belt, meaning it is considered as brownfield. Personally, I think small airports are a really interesting and important place to ‘do business’. Thatchams Research have recently bought Gamston Airport near Retford in North Nottinghamshire to use as a research base for innovative vehicle and road safety research, creating dozens of jobs in the process. I'd love to see more of this.

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WIDER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LOCAL PLAN

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With the adoption of the Core Strategy in 2014, a total of 670 hectares of land was removed from the green belt including Nottingham City Airport. A further 326 hectares of land from the green belt was released following the adoption of Local Plan Part 2 (2019). At the time, this was arguably perceived to be a suitable compromise for delivering and meeting local housing need. However, the emerging evidence suggests that the wrong housing is being built in the wrong places, with one of Rushcliffe’s key strategic assets – its green belt – being sold off to developers who are building bigger and more expensive properties, without demonstrably fulfilling local need.

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Indeed, house prices in Rushcliffe are among the highest in the East Midlands. Despite this, the Rushcliffe Local Plan Monitoring Report 2022/23 shows that 38.5% of the houses built since 2011 are 4+ bed homes and 65.6% are 3+ bed homes. The evidence suggests that we aren’t using planning tools like the Local Plan to strategically address known local challenges; if anything, we might be making things worse. We are on track to deliver a minimum of 13,150 new homes between 2011 and 2028 which is positive (6,747 had been built at the end of 2022/23) but will this meet a demonstrable local need? Or are developers primarily calling the shots?

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At the same time, the district as a whole isn't seeing appropriate and often agreed infrastructure investment. Rushcliffe Borough Council is currently sat on over £45m of developer money which hasn’t been spent on the communities now living with increased pressures caused by ongoing development. This is three times more money than any other council in Nottinghamshire.

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WIDER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LOCAL PLAN

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If elected as your MP, the truth is that I won’t be able to “stop” what has already been agreed and provisioned in planning law since 2014. No MP will – that is a decision for elected Borough Councillors.

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However, I will be able to add my voice – based on my experience of making Neighbourhood and Local Plans – to the mix on the shape of the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan will take over from the current Local Plan in 2028. This document is still being produced and will be submitted for examination later in 2024. This means the wider narrative can still be influenced and, through this, the future of Nottingham City Airport – which “will be carried forward as an allocation within the Preferred Approach” – will be determined.

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If elected as your MP, I will seek to proactively work with Rushcliffe Borough Council to fully understand future housing needs for the next Local Plan period. If required, I will call for a temporary pause on forward movement of the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan (2028 onwards) and associated development to secure this understanding. I believe that this is the most effective way of ensuring that the planned development at Nottingham City Airport is reviewed and considered in the round.

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After all, development isn’t a goal in itself – it is a means to deliver benefits, facilities and jobs for Rushcliffe residents. I would seek to be a passionate and hardworking advocate in this regard.

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For more information on the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan, please visit https://www.gnplan.org.uk/.