Developer wins appeal to cut parking planned for 80 new homes development at Orchard Park

Councillors have spoken of their “frustration” after a planning inspector allowed a developer to cut the number of parking spaces at a new development.

The inspector ruled that Cammaro Ltd can ditch its plans for an underground car park when it builds 80 new homes at Neal Drive in Orchard Park.

That means the 47 car parking spaces originally envisaged will be cut to 26, plus two car club spaces instead.

This was despite the inspector acknowledging there are existing issues with pavement parking in the area and an increase in car ownership.

The developer had appealed to the planning inspector after South Cambridgeshire District Council had refused permission for the underground car park to be removed from the plans, warning that this would have a “detrimental” impact given the parking issues on the development, which lies to the north of Cambridge.

But the inspector overturned the council’s refusal, deciding that the reduced number of spaces was “adequate”.

At a district council planning committee last Wednesday (14 August), councillors said they were “disappointed and frustrated” at the planning inspector’s decision.

Cllr Dr Richard Williams (Con, Whittlesford) said: “I find it extremely frustrating that the planning inspector acknowledges there is a parking problem, but then says ‘it does not matter, I will let it through anyway’.

“It really beggars belief that they recognise there is a problem with on-street parking, but then say ‘oh well, we are going to allow this appeal anyway, because I don’t think it is a problem’.

“I find that very poor and frankly unsatisfactory and not really according respect to the people who have got experience on the ground.”

Clllr Dr Tumi Hawkins (Lib Dem, Caldecote) said: “Obviously it is important for us to learn from decisions that the appeal inspectors make, but I do agree with Cllr Williams on this one. It is disappointing especially when we know there is a problem, it is obvious, [the inspector] admitted it.

“But this is where planning falls down - it is all about material reasons.

“At the end of the day we will still get the blame by local residents, who will go ‘planning just did this, planning just did that’, but there is only so much we can work with. It is unfortunate.”

Cllr Anna Bradnam (Lib Dem, Milton and Waterbeach) also found the inspector’s decision “very disappointing”.