Concerns raised over possible child deaths at 'treacherous' borough road junction

“It is disgusting, that road is absolutely treacherous. There will be a child killed.” These are the words of an angry resident after plans to build 16 homes in Little Hallam Hill, Ilkeston, on a notorious blind dip close to an infamous congestion hotspot, were approved.

At an Erewash Borough Council meeting held on 13th August, councillors approved plans from Birmingham firm Waterville Land Ltd after previously rejecting plans for 26 affordable homes on the site last year due to the lack of developer contributions for improvements.

The site sits opposite the Ambivet vet practice, close to the Bulls Head pub roundabout and next to a local nature reserve.

Bev Harrison, a Kirk Hallam resident, told the meeting: “There is no crossing for people to get over onto the other side and that is a danger in itself.

“The access road here would be a death trap. Everyone in Ilkeston and Kirk Hallam or even Spondon will know it is just impassable here twice a day due to the exodus of kids from the schools.

“It is incompetent and there will be deaths and I want that put on record. It is not safe.”

Angela Hallworth, a local resident, said there had been road closures of two hours and three hours respectively this year due to accidents involving pedestrians being hit by vehicles, with one said to have been a child airlifted to hospital.

On June 16th, Little Hallam Hill near the former Bulls Head pub was closed after a collision involving a truck and a five-year-old boy. The youngster was taken to hospital by helicopter for treatment to an injured foot, Derbyshire police confirmed.

Ms Hallworth said: “There are frequent accidents involving people trying to get in and out of the vets opposite.

“It is clearly extremely dangerous for people trying to cross. It can take 15 minutes to enter or exit the main road. 

“There are already road safety issues and this would be increased by this development. It is a major problem.”

Katie Parsons, on behalf of the applicant, told the meeting that the project would make use of greenfield but not Green Belt land and would “help to address the significant shortfall in Erewash’s housing land supply”.

She said the 26-home scheme was currently at appeal, but that the applicant prefers the new project.

Ms Parsons said Derbyshire County Council’s highways department was satisfied with the scheme, so there was “no justifiable grounds on which a highway objection could be maintained”.

She said it was a “well thought out proposal for much-needed housing in one of the most sustainable locations in your district”.

Steve Birkinshaw, the council’s head of planning, said: “The accident history is a matter of concern, but you are to consider the current application in front of you, not current issues like the lack of a crossing or existing congestion.

“This application cannot be expected to make good pre-existing conditions.”

Cllr Tim Scott said: “16 homes is better than 26 and I am quite happy that the Section 106 has been met.”

On the previous scheme, the developer had previously applied for 26 affordable homes and rejected paying £117,288 in contributions while this scheme would include two affordable bungalows and £25,099 for school improvements and enhancements at the Oak Apple Crescent play area.

Cllr Robert Mee agreed that the road was “unusable for most of the day” but due to the lack of opposition from highways officials, he would “reluctantly” vote for the plans.

Cllr Harrison Broadhurst, who walked past the site twice daily as a school student, said he was as “nervous” as residents about the road safety issues and the need for a crossing.

He said the application was “torturous” but did not feel that this scheme was “the core of those issues” but the “bottlenecking” of roads leading to the Bulls Head roundabout.

Pictured above right: The proposed site of 26 affordable homes in Little Hallam Hill, Ilkeston. Image from Google.