Plans to build 30 flats in Clifton on the site of a former church have been approved. Credit: Anotherkind Architects

Green light for flats at former Clifton church

27 October 2026 15:48 Mike Sheridan Comments ()

Nottingham City Council-backed plans to build affordable homes on the site of a former United Reformed Church have been given the go-ahead.

Councillors waived through proposals to build a four-storey housing block containing 30 apartments on a brownfield site on the previously stalled Southchurch Road plot, despite concerns over overshadowing on neighbouring properties.

Plans for the scheme had originally been submitted in 2020 – but placed on hold while the local authority developed funding proposals for the project.

The application had drawn “significant public interest” during its two separate consultation periods – prompting a call-in to the city council’s October planning committee. A total of 23 objections and a petition of around 50 signatures were gathered in opposition to proposals, as the scheme’s future neighbours laid out their concerns over the scale of the proposed development.

A report from the city council’s planning officers said that plans had “evolved” over the scheme’s six-year lifespan in relation to Whiteways Court, a three-storey sheltered housing development adjacent to the scheme, and had recommended the plans for approval ahead of a meeting on 21 October.

“Whilst concerns have been raised regarding the scale, height and massing of the proposal, officers consider that the development has been carefully designed to respond to the characteristics of the site and its surroundings,” they said.

“The scale of the development is considered appropriate having regard to the urban context of the site, the relationship with Whiteways Court, the need to make effective use of previously developed land and the retention of meaningful separation distances and landscaped areas around the building.”

Following the decision to approve the scheme, Nottingham City Council said officers would work with residents of Whiteways Court to make sure they are kept informed and the impact on them is minimised before, during and after construction.

Cllr Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “This development represents an important step in delivering the Nottingham Vision’s Homes in the Heart ambition.

“By bringing forward high-quality new homes, we’re helping to meet housing need, support regeneration and create vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods where people can thrive.”

Anotherkind Architects provided designs for the scheme.