25/04/2026
An updated planning application for housing has now been submitted by landowners Vistry for their portion of the land north of the old village, including the airport site. The application is for full planning permission for 381 homes and for what's known as "outline" planning permission for the rest of the site. Outline planning permission is basically an "in principle" decision where the details of the proposals will be confirmed at a later date with another application.
Tollerton residents have consistently shown that they can stand up for the village and articulate what they would like to see in their local area - witness the success of pushing back against the inappropriate proposals to develop the land north of Russell Farm Close and the changes that we secured to Rushcliffe’s Supplementary Planning Document (SPD or “masterplan”) for the airport site.
Now it’s time to go again. We might not be able to stop houses being built on the airport site - after all it’s been owned by a housing developer for nearly four years now and been “allocated” for housing for well over a decade - but we can make it clear how we want the houses to fit into the local area, what benefits we want from this development and how we expect Tollerton’s surroundings and way of life to be protected.
It is important, no matter how strongly you feel about certain aspects of the proposals that you keep your comments to what are known as “material planning matters” - ie it needs to be about why this proposal does or doesn’t fit in with what’s included in the government’s national planning rules, the Local Plan, the Neighbourhood Plan and the now agreed Supplementary Planning Document.
You can submit your comments via the Rushcliffe Borough Council website (link in the comments), or via email or post. Rushcliffe Borough Council have confirmed that as this latest application is an update to the one that Vistry submitted in February 2024 the comments received to date will be taken into account. But if things have changed in the application that you want to respond to then you will need to submit a new comment.
Here are some areas where you might want to make comments - please put them into your own words and with your own areas of particular concern or experience. A generic response will not carry as much weight as a tailored response. You have until 17th May to submit your comments.
📑 Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan
The Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan sets out how we want developments in and around the village to work and it includes a number of areas relevant to this proposal. In particular Objectives 4, 5 and 6 of the Plan are
4. To promote healthy and sustainable living habits by encouraging the use of ‘green’ modes of travel around the parish to reduce the parish’s emissions and reliance on the car.
5. To protect existing areas of green space, including the green buffer to the north of the village, and ensure future development contributes to the creation of a strong network of green biodiverse spaces and corridors.
6. To ensure road and transport improvements create streets and spaces that are safe, attractive and prioritise the most vulnerable road users first.
Do you think that the proposal meet those expectations?
Are there other aspects of the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan that need to be reflected in the latest planning application?
🔢 Sequencing
What do you think about this application meaning that the first houses will be built closest to existing houses in the old village?
Do you think that the junctions off the A52 and the access into the site should be built first before the houses are built?
Do you think it’s appropriate that a planning application could be agreed before everyone has even agreed what those junctions off the A52 should be?
🌲 Green Buffer
When Rushcliffe Borough Council approved the Local Plan in 2014 they committed that any development on this land would benefit from “significant Green Infrastructure areas and buffers, particularly on the southern and northern boundaries to contribute to the creation of permanent defensible Green Belt boundaries between the development and Tollerton and Bassingfield.”
You can see in the maps as part of the planning application that there is an area of what look woods and ponds proposed. Do you think that this is a “significant Green Infrastructure area and buffer”?
What do you think about the additional land owned by Vistry which is not (currently) being proposed to be built on south of those woods and ponds? What do you think will happen to that in the future? Should there be a clear position about what that land can be used for in the future?
☠️ Contamination
Cllr Roger Upton, RBC Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing has previously said, “We are aware of concerns around possible contamination on areas around Nottingham Airport, and these must be addressed as part of any planning applications.”
Do you think that this application delivers on that promise?
Are you confident that any possible contamination on the airport site has been fully investigated and dealt with as appropriate?
Have you seen confirmation from the Environment Agency and UK Health Security Agency that reassures you on these points?
🌊 Flooding
Residents on Tollerton Lane and Cotgrave Lane have suffered devastating flooding in recent years. There has been a lot of work recently to improve things and this looks to have started to make a difference.
Do you think that the proposed development could help with flood prevention in some way?
Or is there a risk that the proposals are going to make things worse?
🚌 Transport
The Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan sets out the expectations that “development should seek to reduce reliance on the private car and encourage more sustainable and active types of transport. Whilst recognising the rural location of the parish, development that takes opportunities to make walking, cycling and horse-riding a practical and safe option should be encouraged”.
Do you think these proposals meet that requirement?
Do the proposals make any improvements to the pavement and road networks around the proposed development?
Do you think that the people who move into the houses will be able to make sustainable and active transport choices?
🤔 These are just some ideas - you will have your own issues, comments and thoughts that you might want to submit. If there is anything else that you would want the Parish Council to consider then please drop us a line on [email protected].
