Plans to build homes on village 'meadow' get go ahead despite 'strong objections

PLANS to build new homes on the edge of a village have been approved, despite 'strong objections' raised by neighbours.

- By HANNAH BROWN Local democracy reporter

South Cambridgeshire District Council has approved an outline application for eight self-build homes on land off Thriplow Road, on the edge of Fowlmere.

Similar plans for nine homes at the same site were refused by the district council a few years ago, due to concerns about “significant encroachment” of development into the countryside.

The authority's decision was even upheld at appeal with a planning inspector stating that the site was “unsuitably located” for the development.

Mulberry Land attempted to address these concerns by making changes to its proposals in the latest application, including reducing the number of self and custom-build homes proposed from nine to eight.

The proposed access to the site was also moved from Fowlmere Road to Thriplow Road.

A representative of the developer told councillors at a planning committee meeting last week (April 9) that their plans would help meet the authority's “significant shortfall” of self-build plots.

They said they recognised the concern about the impact of the previous proposals on the green belt, but argued the changes made meant it would “not encroach on the wider countryside”.

The representative highlighted the latest plans for the development included a 10 metre buffer area between the houses and the countryside.

However, a number of people in the village wrote to the district council to say they still “strongly object” to the plans.

One objector said: “The field is one of the last remaining old semi-natural grasslands in the village.