Fight to stop business park on country ‘haven’

BUT COUNCIL LEADER WARNS: ‘THE WORLD DOESN’T STAND STILL’

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN @Local democracy reporter

CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to fight plans for a large business park near Bennerley Viaduct.

Developer Harworth wants to build a business and logistics park on farmland and the former Bennerley Coal Disposal Point, to the west of Awsworth, extending along the A6069 Shilo Way up to the A610, opposite Giltbrook Retail Park.

Around 1.3 million square feet of industrial space would feature a mix of large and smaller distribution units, which Harworth says would create 1,000 full-time jobs.

A new country park near Bennerley Viaduct and the Erewash Valley railway line is also planned. Land would need to be released from the greenbelt for the scheme, but some of it would be as part of the country park, which would protect wetland habitats and floodplains.

Bridleways and footpaths currently exist in and around the site, and connect Giltbrook to Ilkeston via the Grade II-listed Victorian viaduct.

But residents of Awsworth and surrounding areas are campaigning against the plans, which have not yet been formally submitted.

Susan McEntee, 70, a member of Awsworth and Neighbours Residents’ Association, who has lived in nearby Kimberley since 1987, said: “It’s a big amount of mainly greenbelt land which has basically gone back to rewilding, which we hear the Government wants to happen. People walk there, cycle there - it’s very beautiful.

“They said there would be a country park which is on a concrete bit at the end, where lots of motorcyclists make a racket - how you can turn that into a country park I don’t know.”