Developers given green light to build 300 new homes on edge of Wisbech

A developer has been told they can build 300 new homes on the edge of Wisbech as part of an “urban extension” to the town.

The new homes are set to be built on land off Stow Lane, as part of wider plans to see 1,450 homes built to the east of the town.

Detailed plans for the first 100 homes were approved by Fenland District Council and outline plans for a further 200 homes were also agreed at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday.

More detailed plans for the 200 homes will need to be submitted and approved by the district council before they can be built.

The developer, Seagate Homes Ltd, said the plans offered an “opportunity to provide a sustainable, landscape-led urban extension to the east of Wisbech”.

Andrew Hodgson, a representative of the developer, told councillors that the company is “confident” it has got a “very good scheme”.

Planning officers at the district council had recommended for the application to be approved.

They said: “A comprehensive package of mitigation has been agreed by the applicant, with a mixture of financial contributions and direct delivery of transport infrastructure.

“It is recognised that the development will result in some unavoidable landscape harm, however this is localised and inevitable given the development plan allocation.

“Furthermore, due to known viability constraints with the district, the full amount of infrastructure contributions cannot be secured, and only a small quantum of affordable housing is achievable.

“However, it is considered that the proposal would, on balance, amount to sustainable development and would accord with the development plan taken as a whole.”

Cllr Roy Gerstner said he had concerns that only five per cent of the 300 homes would be made available as affordable housing.

He said: “That only five per cent of affordable housing I think is of concern, I know there has been a viability study carried out on this, but can you explain to me how this figure has come about and why it is such a low number?”

Officers said viability is a “known constraint throughout this district”.

They added that as the developer of the first phase the company will also face extra costs to put in place initial infrastructure and access to utilities.

Officers also said the developer had come forward with a package of contributions that exceeded what they said the council’s assessments would have asked for.

They explained that they would have expected for a site like this in Wisbech to get a £2,000 financial contribution per home towards services in the area, but said the developer had offered £2,000 per home and five per cent affordable housing, as well as contributions towards bus mitigation.

Cllr Jan French said she could see that a “considerable amount of work” had been carried out on the plans since they were first submitted.

She said she believed the plans offered a “good design” and said she would be happy to support the development going ahead.

When a decision was put to a vote the committee unanimously agreed to approve the plans.