Go-ahead given for more new homes despite objections and previous refusal

Planned homes in Chatteris have been given the go-ahead. Fenland District Council’s decision to approve five homes south of Blackmill Road on Tuesday (November 26) came despite objections from local people, who have described the multiple applications on the same site as getting “boring” and “tiring”.

One person who lives at Fairview Gardens simply asked: “When is enough enough?” A proposal for six homes in the same area, to the south of 19 Blackmill Road, was refused in December 2021.

This previous decision was based on issues with access from Blackmill Road, which was described as being unlit and “restricted in width”. As a result, the applicant has proposed widening the road and adding street lights in the recently-approved application.

READ MORE: Village wide 20mph zone agreed after only one objection lodged

READ MORE: Gypsy and Traveller families allowed to keep homes in South Cambs village

Fifteen local residents objected to the proposals, despite these changes - which they believe will not improve highway safety or prevent backing up of traffic along “narrow” Blackmill Road. One person, from Fairview Gardens, said: “This is all getting rather boring now. Every six weeks a different plan for the same thing.”

Most objectors agreed that the road was not wide enough for more vehicles, while some pointed to the approval of 50 homes to the south of nearby Fairbairn Way in 2020 as a reason for their opposition.

One person living in Millfield Close echoed these points: “There are already plans for 50 dwellings in the field adjacent to this proposed development so there is no case for a further five behind our property.

“The drove [Blackmill Road] is very narrow and there would be a regular need for people to back up to allow motor vehicles to pass each other. This would be a safety risk because pedestrians - families out for a walk and dog walkers - would have nowhere to go.”

Councillor Anne Hay, who represents Chatteris South at a town and district council level, regularly walks her dog down Blackmill Drove. She agreed with objectors, stating: “The public byway is primarily for walkers, cyclists and horse riders and is used continuously throughout the day.

“With five large houses being planned, this could give rise to ten or more extra cars using this quiet lane.”

Around three people expressed support for the application. One of these, who lives on London Road in Chatteris, described the area as “ideal” and said: “It seems this part of town is where planning is heading, having exhausted Doddington Road.”