New homes to be built on edge of village despite over 100 objections

Plans to build new homes on the edge of a village have been given the green light, despite over 100 people lodging formal objections. People in Spaldwick raised concerns about the plans to build the 15 new homes, including sharing worries about the impact it could have on flooding in the area.

However, the developer, Blenheim Land and Homes Ltd, said the new homes would be built on an area deemed a low risk of flooding. The new homes are due to be built on farmland off of the High Street to the east of the village. All of the new homes are proposed to be made available as affordable housing, which the developer said was “much needed”.

The proposed development received 115 formal objections from people in the area and Spaldwick Parish Council argued the plans were “wrong for the community”. Councillor Greg Rice, from the parish council, told a meeting of Huntingdonshire District Council’s development management committee this week (May 20), that the new housing estate should not be built on farmland.

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He also said they were “very concerned about flooding” in the area as he said the field proposed to be built on was in the “lowest part of the village and floods regularly”. However, the application to build the homes had been recommended for approval by planning officers after they said no concerns were raised by the lead local flood authority.

A representative of the developer said the land they wanted to build on was in flood zone one, which they said had the lowest risk of flooding. They argued there were “no material reasons” to refuse the plans, and also highlighted that the development would see the ditches adjacent to the field cleared and maintained into the future.

Councillor Ian Gardiner highlighted that the Environment Agency had recommended that a sequential test was undertaken before the authority decided the proposed mitigation measures for flooding made the site safe. A sequential test compares a site proposed to be developed with other available sites to find out which has the lowest flood risk.

Cllr Gardiner said this had not been done and questioned why the advice had not been followed. Planning officers said the Environment Agency comments were “advisory” and highlighted that the site was in flood zone one and had a “low risk of flooding”, they said it was therefore not considered to be “appropriate” to ask for a sequential test.

Cllr Gardiner said: “I do believe a sequential test should have been taken into account because we were advised by the Environment Agency to do so. To my mind if someone advises me to do something for safety I would expect to do that. If I was driving a car and a mechanic says the brakes could fail, I would not then not do anything. The Environment Agency said we should do a sequential test, I believe the authority should do that.”

Cllr Gardiner said he also thought the development would harm the conservation area and said he did not think the homes all being affordable housing outweighed that harm. Councillor Shariqua Mokbul said she also had concerns and said she did not feel the benefits of the 15 new homes balanced out that harm she said they would create for the people in the area.

However, other councillors said they believe on balance the application should be approved. Councillor Douglas Dew said he thought it was great all of the homes would be affordable housing and said he was happy to see some bungalows proposed as well. He said the council had to listen to the experts on matters such as flooding and highlighted the lead local flood authority had not raised an objection.

Cllr Dew said that lack of concerns raised by the flood authority would make it “very difficult” for the district council to argue otherwise. He said he recognised concerns about the impact of the development on the conservation area, but said he felt the balance was tilted against this as by the affordable homes proposed in the development.

Councillor Tom Sanderson said he understood the villagers' concerns, but said he could not see a reason to go against the officer’s recommendation. Councillor Eric Butler added that the affordable homes would offer people in the area the possibility of being able to stay and live near their families. The application was approved in a tight vote that saw seven councillors vote to approve the plans, six vote against, and one councillor abstaining.

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