1,500 new homes move step closer to being built on edge of Cambridgeshire town

Up to 1,500 new homes are set to be built on farmland to the north of Huntingdon. Councillors at Huntingdonshire District Council have approved an outline application to build the new homes at Grange Farm. As well as the new homes the development is also proposed to include a ‘local centre’ offering shops and community facilities. Play areas and open areas for people to enjoy are also proposed to be included in the new development.

In plans submitted by the developer, Urban and Civic (Alconbury) Ltd, it said: “[The] purpose of the application is to underpin and further bolster the delivery of much needed new homes in accordance with national and local planning policy and to accelerate infrastructure delivery at Alconbury Weald.

“This is especially pertinent given the delays to allocated sites on Ermine Street resulting from the ongoing discussions regarding the potential re-aligned A141. The establishment of a second delivery front in Grange Farm North and the opportunity to make available additional development parcels alongside those within Alconbury Weald, but within a distinct but complementary community at Grange Farm will make an important contribution in terms of housing and infrastructure delivery.”

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Councillors met this week (April 22) at a development management committee to discuss the proposals. Councillor Tom Sanderson said the site is in the district council’s local plan and therefore they have “always known it is going to be developed”. He said he believed the development should be supported.

Councillor Sam Wakeford said it was “disappointing” the development did not offer 40 per cent affordable housing the district council normally asked for. An assessment commissioned by the district council concluded that making 40 per cent of the 1,500 homes affordable housing would make the development “unviable”.

The development is therefore only proposing to make 20 per cent of the homes available as affordable housing. Cllr Wakeford said he understood the viability assessment had been undertaken, but said he supported the plans for reviews along the way to see if more affordable housing became possible as market conditions changed.

Councillor Jon Neish said he trusted the planning officers had “done a good job challenging that viability” to agree the amount of affordable housing planned. He said: “I am fully supportive of what is going on, it is pleasing to see it taking shape at last, even though it may be a while until the houses are built.”

When a decision on the application was put to a vote the committee councillors unanimously agreed to approve the plans. As an outline application, more detailed plans for the development will need to be submitted and approved by the district council before the new homes can be built.

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