Green light for almost 270 homes in Wath

Sixty-seven of the homes would be designated affordable housing, and all will be two-storey with off-street parking spaces.

A new access road will be built from Doncaster Road, and the existing access along the front of the site will be closed.

Barratts will be required to contribute more than £1.5m in section 106 monies for the community, including £256,000 for four consulting rooms at doctor’s surgeries, £518,705 for Wath Victoria Primary School, £134,500 towards sustainable transport measures, £51,875 for bus shelter improvements, and £85,000 to upgrade a play area off Avenue Road.

Planning officers say that while concerns around traffic are noted, ‘there are measures in place to ensure that the impact is minimal’.

They add that the development will lead to around 700 new patients at Market and Crown Street surgeries, which ‘would struggle to accommodate further expansion’.

However, health bosses say 700 patients would ‘not necessitate a new surgery and whilst some patients would likely be already registered at a practice there are concerns about the impact of this development on capacity’.

During today’s planning committee meeting, applicant Matthew Shepherd said the plans would create 64 construction jobs, and that £56m will be spent in the local economy by the time the site is built.

“We’ve been working with your officers for nearly three years to get this right,” Mr Shepherd added.

“It will greatly improve the existing flooding issues on the Gore Hill Estate.

“The new homes will be highly sustainable.”