Plans for over 220 homes in Leverington have finally got the formal greenlight

Controversial plans to build 221 homes on a former nursery site have finally been given the formal go-ahead months after they were approved by councillors.

Mr R Peggs was granted permission to build the houses, made up of two, three and four bedrooms together with a number of one and two bedroom flats on land east of 88 Sutton Road, Leverington earlier in the year.

But the approval has only been rubber-stamped this week by officers following lengthy discussions over the section 106 agreement required for the permission to be granted.

Approval was given by Fenland's planning committee on January 30 despite the fact “most of the site is located in Flood Zone 3” and was identified in Fenland’s Strategic Flood Risk assessment as being within “an area of danger for most in times of tidal flood”.

However, an officer’s report said: “After legal advice and technical discussions with both lead local flood authority and the Environment Agency the site is considered to pass both sequential and exception tests.”

The report said the applicant proposes to raise the site levels up to 4.75m from the current levels by approximately one metre.”

Residents living close to the former Delamore site claim the proposals will add to the already major traffic issues with the A1101.

Mr and Mrs Bullen, who live close to the site, said: “We have problems now with all the traffic, speeding, volume and dangers which already exist, any further traffic exits in the road would make it worse.”

A view agreed by Rachel Collins who said: “This could generate an extra 400 vehicles, entering and leaving a major commuter route, in a 40mph limit, currently this route is heavily congested, the road infrastructure can’t cope.”

Residents also point out that doctors’ surgeries are already over-stretched and the lack of a bus services to the area.

They also accused the applicant of going for “maximum profit” by building houses instead of bungalows along the boundary to Sutton Road.

However, Pamela Lambert supported the application. She said: “I feel this development is long overdue. It is the next available piece of land along Sutton Road which is ripe for new housing, fulfilling a great need in this area.

“We constantly hear about developing Wisbech, capital of the Fens, but the right decisions have to be made regarding investment".

The officer’s report said the applicant had submitted a viability study which resulted in the number of affordable home sincluded on the site being reduced from 25 per cent to 10 per cent. It also said the developer would have to make a £500,000 provision for education and £82,018 towards enhancement for the North Brink Surgery, as well as highway/footpath improvements .

A council spokesman said: "The delay with the application has been the result of negotiating the Section 106 legal agreement association with granting of planning permission."