A major new development for 400 homes in Woodville has been approved after a delay of more than two years - despite fears of the danger to local children.

There are concerns that they will be unable to walk safely to their primary school while building work is being carried out.

Plans for the new housing project, in Woodville, were agreed by councillors at the latest planning meeting at South Derbyshire District Council where some members of the committee voiced concerns about the potential impact on the community.

The housing scheme, to be built on the land of the former Broomy Farm, was initially approved in 2016, but the need to fill in the former Midway Tunnel and the Cutting in the area had become a cause for concern.

Up to 400 new homes will be built in Woodville

The site features the Midway Tunnel that was used on the historic Midland Railway line which ran through South Derbyshire from the mid 19th century before closing as a passenger route in 1962 and as a freight route two years later.

The tunnel was partially filled several years ago, but this work will now need to be completed before construction can begin as a road is to be built on top of the site.

Paul Burton, from Northampton-based developers Hallam Land, said work on the tunnel was being carried out to enable the first houses to be built and sold on to fund other alterations in the area.

Mr Burton said: "The basics are set to be done first, with the spine road and junctions being built before the houses are developed, so that they can be sold and we can move on to the next stage, rather than having a huge development of unsold houses.

"I wanted to come here because I have got lots of interest in South Derbyshire. We have taken a lot of time working on this development and worked through it because we want to deliver it in the right manner.

"With the approval from councillors, we should be starting works by the end of the year."

The current plans for the development at the former Broomy Farm site

But Councillor Dr Robert Pearson raised concerns that the development site would leave children in Woodville unable to walk to the nearby Eureka Primary School as the existing footpath will become part of the building site.

Although children from Woodville Infants and Woodville Church of England Junior Schools will be unaffected by the building site, councillors stressed that the Eureka Primary School will be the site earmarked for expansion and accept more pupils when new families begin to move to the area.

Councillor Pearson said: "If parents who don't live too far away are unable to walk their children to school, they will have to drive them, causing more problems around the schools.

"The footpath being part of the construction site will mean there is no safe way, away from busy roads, that children will be able to get to Eureka.

"The impact on local residents will be significant, but the benefits won't be felt for a long time."

Some councillors expressed worries that the work could be underway before the Woodville-Swadlincote regeneration route is completed, or that work could be carried out at the same time, with the village having to cope with twice the number of construction vehicles.

Councillor Andrew MacPherson said: "It seems to be the wrong way round. I understand 100 properties could be built before the regeneration route is completed, which could amount to as many as 300 cars a day.

"There's going to be an awful lot of traffic movement in an area that struggles as it is."

Councillors had previously raised concerns when plans for a spine road, to run through the development, were revealed.

Councillor Steve Taylor raised concerns about the area road becoming a rat-run as it would bypass the busy Tollgate roundabout.

Fears of the road becoming a rat-run were dismissed by applicants who said changes in the road surface and several key junctions would prevent this. They added the link road had been designed to reduce the speed of traffic around Woodville and Swadlincote.

The applicant also said the proposed Swadlincote-Woodville Regeneration Route, which will provide a larger bypass, taking traffic away from Woodville, would ease the pressure.

This shows the final layout of the link road at Broomy Farm which could provide a bypass for Tollgate

During the planning meeting, highways bosses raised no concerns and it was confirmed the link road would offset the impact at the Tollgate roundabout "in principle."

They said it would be preferred to any physical improvement at the roundabout due to concerns over HGV manoeuvres. The report added that the link road would cause little change at the roundabout, given the development of 400 homes.