The Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council welcomed work now underway as part of a wider regeneration project set to help the County’s economic recovery post-COVID-19.
The Top Wighay Farm site, a 40-hectare site situated north-west of the Nottinghamshire town of Hucknall, will feature an 805-property housing development, a new primary school, and a local community centre.
The £10.3m project has benefited from £3m from the D2N2’s Local Growth Fund allocation.
Work to construct two new junctions has now started at the site of a planned new flagship village at Top Wighay Farm site near Linby, thanks to a partnership led by Nottinghamshire County Council, working alongside D2N2, Homes England, Balfour Beatty, Scape Group, Arc Partnership and Via East Midlands.
More than 1,000 full-time jobs could be created as part of the plans that also include shops, playing fields and new energy-efficient offices on the 40-hectare site.
The new village could generate £873 million in terms of economic output over a ten-year period.
Top Wighay Farm
After championing this project from the start, Councillor Kay Cutts MBE, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Now more than ever, ambitious developments like this will help boost economic growth for our county over the next decade, which is why I am so committed to this major regeneration project which will help generations to come.”
“Whilst this terrible pandemic hasn’t gone away and we continue to prioritise our services to ensure the well-being of our communities, we owe it to our residents to invest in Nottinghamshire as part of our road to recovery.”
It follows the Prime Minister’s announcement to focus on long-term infrastructure projects to help create jobs and boost economic recovery in light of the pandemic.
Cllr Cutts continued: “I’m passionate about our plans as this development has the needs of the local community at its core. These current works will provide the road infrastructure needed to help open up the site.”
“As we adjust to a new way of life, this new village could serve as a model for the way communities live as a result of COVID-19.”
“As more of us work from home, having a primary school within easy reach and well-served by footpaths, cycle routes and traffic calming measures, will make dropping off the children for school safer and more convenient. It promises to be the ideal place to bring up a family which is why this project is one I cherish so much. ”
The current highways work, due to be complete next Spring, includes the expansion of a roundabout on the A611/Annesley Road and a new signal-controlled junction as well as a new, three-metre wide, shared-use footway/cycle lane along the northern side of the A611 north of Hucknall and to the west of Linby.
The site will also feature carefully thought-through cycling and pedestrian routes and conservation concerns will remain a key objective throughout the build phase, with trees and hedgerows being maintained.
The site will build upon existing landscape character to create an extensive and diverse framework of green infrastructure which encourages biodiversity and quality landscaping.
Attenuation ponds and innovative drainage systems will help regulate surface water and support wildlife.
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