Life next to modular housing development which saw two lorry incidents in a day

Jan 02, 2024

People living opposite the site have welcomed the project on land that was once an "eyesore"

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People opposite an Arnold development that caused two lorry incidents in one day say they welcome the new housing on land which was previously an "eyesore." Two lorries were carrying wide loads towards the modular housing site off Rolleston Drive on Tuesday (May 30) when an incident forced the closure of a road for over six hours.

A crane had to reposition the load of one lorry after it slipped off on Thackeray's Lane in Woodthorpe. But one of the lorries then had to be halted again at around 6.30pm on Sandfield Road, with the second incident causing damage to a car.

People living in Woodthorpe said the accidents were "waiting to happen", whilst the company behind the housing project concerned apologised for the inconvenience and said it would review the route used by the lorries. But people living opposite the development off Rolleston Drive say despite this week's incidents, the project has caused little disruption for them.

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The Birch Fields estate will comprise 131 modular homes, all of which have been built at a factory in North Yorkshire. The homes will be the first factory-built houses in Arnold and will all be available for affordable rent or shared ownership.

Rolleston Drive resident Ian Atkinson, 67, said: "The roads do get very filthy all the time. I didn't wash my car for six months at one stage because there wasn't any point.

"Otherwise it's not been too bad, you obviously get a bit of noise. There is a need for housing and it will be nice not to have that land as an eyesore anymore."

The land on which the modular homes are now being built was once occupied by derelict offices which were gutted by a huge fire in 2017. The land had been vacant for six years before then, with developer Ilke Homes purchasing the nine-acre site from Nottinghamshire County Council.

Ellie Hardy, 43, said: "It's good for the area to have more housing because it was just barren land before. The houses look quite nice as well, I've never seen these modular ones before."

Simon Dawkins, 45, said: "The kids think it's the best thing in the world because they've loved seeing all the cranes on the site. I don't think the disruption has been too bad and we definitely need housing."

Another Rolleston Drive resident, who did not want to be named, agreed that there had been little disruption caused by the development. But she also expressed hopes that the new housing would not cause too much pressure on local services such as dentists and schools.

The development is scheduled to be complete by this summer, with the 46 shared ownership properties being available through Snugg Homes. The remaining 85 affordable rent houses will be allocated via Gedling Borough Council.