Plans for 37 homes on Doddington site submitted by the Diocese of Ely

The Church of England is looking to build up to 37 homes on a field opposite a village medical centre.

The Diocese of Ely has applied through its agent Howard Sharp and Partners to build their homes on the land west of Hermitage Gardens off Benwick Road in Doddington – a stone's throw from the hospital and GP surgery.

A design and access statement explains the plans include a housing mix “which takes account of the proximity to Doddington Hospital and the opportunity to provide accommodation for key workers”.

It explains the housing mix will meet local planning policy and will include one, two, three, and four-bedroom homes they will be a mixture of affordable home ownership, affordable home rent, and private ownership.

The majority of the homes will be three bedrooms with 14 of them going on the open market and three being affordable homes.

There will be two one-bedrooms and these will both be affordable and a total of 12 two bedrooms, two of which will be affordable housing.

All six of the planned four-bedroom homes will be for sale on the open market.

The statement points out there is a “small area” of surface water flood risk on the southern and eastern edges of the site but development has been excluded from these areas.

The site abuts the village’s conservation area but the statement explains the development will safeguard the setting and characteristics of this area.

There will be landscaping and screen planting to be provided along the site boundaries to mitigate visual impacts on the open countryside.

A heritage assessment carried out by the agent explains: “It is our view that the proposal will be a positive element, therefore it is not a matter of harm but of sustaining the significance of the adjacent conservation area.”

It specifically refers to the Hermitage, which is a prominent 19th century property that is within close proximity of the proposed site.

The assessment says: “The Hermitage is arguably a non-designated heritage asset. This is set within a mixture of well established and more recent development.

“Its setting has changed over time but has always been in a residential context. Its value as a prominent 19th century building will not be undermined by further residential development subject to careful design.”

And adds: “The development of the site for residential use would be consistent with the residential character of the part of the conservation area that is visible.”