Decision due over plans for further 1,000 homes at Northstowe

A decision on whether to approve plans for a further 1,000 homes as part of the Northstowe new town development is due to be made next week.

The outline application will be presented to councillors at a South Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee meeting on Monday (February 28).

Alongside the new homes, the application also includes proposals for a primary school, and an area for shops, food and drink, community, and leisure places.

Submitted by Homes England, the application is proposed to be part of the third phase of the Northstowe development. The overall development will see around 10,000 new homes built near Longstanton once completed.

The application for the 1,000 homes was due to be decided by councillors at a previous planning meeting last month, where outline plans for 4,000 homes in Northstowe were approved.

However, after making a decision on the 4,000 homes, councillors decided they would defer a decision on the 1,000 homes as it was not felt there would be enough time to debate the plans and make a decision.

The outline plans have been recommended for delegated approval to the joint director of planning and economic development, by council planning officers.

In a report published ahead of the committee meeting, it said: “Overall, the proposed development will bring significant measurable economic, social and environmental public benefits.

“In exercising the planning balance, officers consider there are no sustainable planning objections that would outweigh the positive benefits arising from the development which forms a longstanding and established allocated site.

“The balance of these benefits in the circumstances of the application is considered to weigh in favour of granting permission.”

However, the application has been objected to by Northstowe Town Council, Oakington and Westwick Parish Council, Over Parish Council, Swavesey Parish Council, and Willingham Parish Council.

The parish councils raised a number of concerns including over drainage, the heights of buildings, the impact on traffic.

Swavesey Internal Drainage Board also objected to the plans, raising concerns over surface water runoff and foul water discharging into Swavesey Drain.

The board claimed the application does not currently meet some aspects of national policy.

However, no objections had been raised by the Lead local Flood Authority, the Transport Assessment Team, Anglian Water, or the Environment Agency.

Due to the application being ‘outline’, if it is approved, further applications with more details will need to be submitted and approved by the district council before the development can take place.