A well-attended meeting at The Pavilion in Sutton this evening saw standing room only for residents keen to hear what developers Linden Homes had to say about their proposals for housing North of The Brook.
The site in question runs behind Stirling Way and St Andrew’s Close, The Orchards, and Tower Road, to Mepal Road and Millfield. A planning application has not (yet) been submitted to the planning authority (the district council) but will be in due course.
The drawing shown by the developers included an initial allocation of around 50 homes (the land outlined in red below), along with indications of a possible plan for the rest of the site (the remainder of the coloured area – around 200-250 homes). This includes sports pitches and burial space, two amenities the parish needs.
After parish councillors had had an opportunity to ask their questions, it was the public’s turn. The issues raised included:
- Traffic: the developers confirmed that all access to the site, both during the construction phase and when the site is developed, would be via Mepal Road. The highways authority (the county council) would be consulted on the plans and would carry out an assessment.
- Parking: the site would be developed in accordance with the district council’s parking standards, which would on average be around two cars per property.
- Drainage: residents, particularly in Tower Road, drew attention to existing problems with drainage and sewerage.
- Local services: large numbers of additional homes would mean more pressure on the local school, health facilities and shops. (The county council is under a legal duty to ensure a sufficient supply of school places. Priors Field GP surgery was granted planning permission earlier this year to expand its premises. And the Co-op has expressed initial interest in applying to build a store on the triangle of land on the edge of the A142 roundabout at the entrance to the village opposite Tramar Drive).
- Density of housing: would the developers consider building lower densities of housing behind the existing housing, and the medium density housing nearer the A142?
- Timetable: the developers are talking about submitting a planning application in August. This would be before the district council has opened its local plan consultation, scheduled for November-December, about where more homes should be built across East Cambridgeshire. And it would allow little time to consult with residents and the parish council before a formal planning application is submitted.
Linden Homes have offered further opportunities for input into their proposal, and the meeting seemed keen that this should take place through the parish council. Sutton residents should expect to hear more in due course.
Note: the above is not the formal minute of the parish council meeting, which will be written by the parish council and published on its website.
Edit (15-Jun): the presentation by Linden Homes to the council is available online here.
The proposed development is totally untenable for the village of Sutton. In oder to satisfy such a stark increase of the population in the village would require a mass developement of the basic infrastructure into the village. The increase of 500 plus cars into the village would increase the probability of accidents of residents in particular children in the village.
The proposed Co-Op shop would certainly force the One Stop convenient store and its vital Post Office service to close.
Does this mean the country nail is planning to build New Schools into the village? using up more green space. Was the council aware that we have Crested Newts in the area, which i understand are protected. Such huge development plans would certainly negatively impose on the rich wildlife we enjoy in the village.
Public Transport is virtually non-existent. It is not just about increasing premises but getting the right quality of teachers and doctors into the village. There is a huge shortage of teachers and doctors int he country, but this can not be satisfied with filling posts with recruitment drives outside the country.
We need more than cycle routes for Sutton to ensure the safety of its residents. The question of pollution of every kind has not been mentioned, nor the strain a new build of such magnitude would have on the land.
Good afternoon, Charmen. Have you submitted your comments about the Local Plan to the District Council’s consultation? You need to do that either online or on their Comment Form – but you need to do it today as the consultation closes at 23:59 tonight. I can email you a form if you wish. Kind regards, Lorna