On Monday, 19 May, 2025, Bolsover District Council’s Executive agreed that Rood Lane would be removed from the Bolsover Homes programme due to the complexities surrounding building on the site.
Land tenure and access have obstructed the site's development potential, leading the Council’s Executive to explore other options.
If the site was to be used for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - which is now a mandatory requirement for major developments in England – this could be achieved through on-site and/or off-site habitat creation or enhancement.
To consider whether this is the best use of Rood Lane, the Council would need to establish a BNG value for the site. This would involve an evaluation by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust under an existing agreement and would take approximately three months to conclude.
An alternative option would be to consider using the land for leisure purposes, such as a sports playing pitch or formal green space. The Council recently conducted an infrastructure study, and the evidence work (February 2025) identified that Clowne continues to have a shortfall in provision of both formal and semi-formal green space for its population.
Bolsover District Council Leader, Councillor Jane Yates said, “We have looked at the options available for this site and we feel it is in the best interests of the Council and the local area to remove it from our Bolsover Homes building programme.
“We will now look to use this land for either Biodiversity Net Gain or leisure purposes that will benefit the local community, with a further report being submitted for our consideration.”