Plans for housing development on edge of Chatteris approved

Plans have been approved for a new housing development on the edge of Chatteris, despite concerns that ‘no more houses are needed’ in the town.

Councillors at Fenland District Council have approved an outline application to build up to 20 new homes on land off New Road.

The developer, Beauville Properties Ltd, said there is a “clear need for housing in Chatteris and in Fenland”.

The developer added that the new homes would be “of a good architectural quality” and would be “sympathetic to the existing scale and character” of the surrounding area.

They said: “The proposed development will make efficient use of the land available whilst respecting the context and will contribute positively to the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the local area.”

However, concerns about the proposed development had been raised by some people in the area, with 13 formal objections lodged against the plans.

Some argued that “no more houses are needed in Chatteris”, while others raised concerns about potential flooding issues and the loss of green space.

Three comments of support were also submitted, with some people saying that the plans would put an unused site to “good use”, and would make a “positive contribution to regeneration of Chatteris”.

Planning officers also recommended that the application should be approved when councillors were asked to consider the plans this week (April 30).

However, David Ward, an objector to the application, argued that the £40,000 proposed in financial contributions for services in the town was not enough to cover the impact of the development.

He claimed the schools already did not have enough spaces and said the doctor’s surgery “cannot cope”.

Officers acknowledged the £40,000 would not be enough to meet the whole needs for services that public sector providers had identified in response to the application.

However, it said the council’s viability assessment advises that schemes like this should be able to achieve 20 per cent affordable housing and £2,000 per dwelling in financial contributions.

Councillor David Connor said he was “disappointed” there would only be £2,000 provided per home.

He said that would not keep up with the costs of infrastructure needed in the area.

A representative of the developer said the contributions were based on the rules they had to work within.

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

As it is an outline application, more detailed plans will need to be submitted and approved by the district council before the new homes can be built.