Chatteris homes plans get greenlight despite fears over road safety

Plans for nine homes were given the green-light despite officers recommending refusal because of highway safety concerns.

Wednesday's meeting of Fenland District Council's planning committee saw members discuss proposals to build nine homes on land to the rear of Grade II listed 133 High Street, for nearly an hour before approving the application by Mr S Howard.

At the start of the debate members heard from Mr Howards' agent Lee Bevens who explained the application was to replace an existing permission for three executive size homes on the site, off Black Horse Lane.

He also told how Mr Howard had spent over £250,000 renovating 133 High Street, which had previously been in a derelict state with rotten floors, leaking roof and totally inhabitable, to make it into a family home.

An officers' report explained the existing permission for the three homes was granted, despite highways concerns, because the idea was the new houses would help fund the renovation of 133 High Street.

However, the work had been expedited by Mr Howard at his own expense as a result the repairs were complete, but the homes had not been built - which a planning report said was contrary to the planning permission.

Mr Bevens said the change of application was for nine more moderately sized houses, which would be more suited to the site and the surrounding area.

But the meeting heard there were concerns over the safety of the junction of Black Horse Lane with High Street as the highways authority felt visibility was poor, which was partly why the proposals were being recommended for refusal.

Planning officer David Rowen explained the previous planning approval had been granted as an enabling development as it was felt getting the work done on listed 133 High Street outweighed the negativity of the junction issue, and it was also for three homes not nine.

Mr Rowen said the excuse of getting 133 High Street brought back into use no longer stood, as the work had already been completed and therefore the enabling development argument was redundant.

He also said there were concerns that a listed building would be left with a very limited amount of garden and its curtilage would be "irreversibly detached" as a result of the latest plans and added that nine houses would have a greater impact on the listed building.

He argued nine dwellings would also result in even more vehicles using the substandard junction than the approved scheme and with consequent implications for highway safety.

However councillors did not agree with the argument that the junction was dangerous and pointed out that at one time there had been a coach/bus depot at the bottom of Black Horse Lane as well as a farmyard with heavy machinery, both of which had used the junction.

Chatteris councillors also pointed out that there was no record of the junction being an accident hotspot, and none of those present could recall an accident at the site.

Councillor Peter Murphy also argued it would be "very unfair" to make the developer pay for improvements to a junction to solve an existing issue having already spent money on renovating 133 High Street, which he said had been a "total eyesore".

Councillor Ian Benney said the development and the renovation of the listed building were for the "betterment of the town" as they would help prevent anti-social behaviour, which had been a problem in that area.

Members eventually voted eight to two in favour of going against the officer recommendation, believing the development would be a positive asset, and that the desire to get a currently rough piece of ground, that is a blot on the landscape developed, outweighed any highways concerns.