Planning consent finally granted for homes on historic Mansfield hall’s gardens

The scheme will bring 12 apartments and eight detached homes to the gardens of Berry Hill Hall.

Mansfield Council approved the development, on land looking over the popular Berry Hill Park, in July last year.

However, the official planning consent was only granted this month after the Section 106 developer agreement was signed, setting out the plans and how much developer Blackthorn (Midlands) will contribute to improving the area.

New papers reveal £100,000 will be given to the council towards the provision of affordable housing, alongside £22,000 to improve facilities and infrastructure at Berry Hill Park.

Nottinghamshire Council will also be given £8,500 for improvements to the nearby care home’s bus stop on Berry Hill Lane and £71,625 towards “improving, remodelling, enhancing or expanding” nearby education provision.

It means the developers will contribute £202,125 to improving the area to get the scheme over the line.

It follows concerns raised by residents last year before the plans were approved.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition calling for the development to be stopped, with concerns including the impact on the listed building, the loss of a heritage asset and fears of “over-development”.

However, the authority’s planning committee decided the plans were more suitable than previous proposals for the site.

A separate planning permission, which stood valid on the site prior to the 2021 decision, approved more than 70 apartments across a four or a five-storey building.

However, in the 2021 meeting, councillors said the reduced plans were more likely to protect the historic site.

Coun Andy Wetton, member for Meden, said last year: “The permission granted years ago would be abhorrent now.

“This application appears to be a good solution.”

Other councillors described the earlier plans as “quite overbearing” and said the current proposals would “ensure the hall is the dominant feature”.

The apartments will be spread across two blocks and comprise 11 two-bedroom flats and a single one-bedroom property, each with one parking space.

The houses include five two-and-a-half-storey detached homes, two detached two-storey houses and a detached dormer bungalow.

Properties will be on either side of the hall’s gardens, with the land improved by developers before it is opened to the public.