Keep Cherry Hinton a village'

With a 1,200-home expansion on the cards for Cherry Hinton, residents have told developers that they want the area to keep its village identity once construction is complete.

A consultation about land north of Cherry Hinton, which makes up a 47-hectare area east of Cambridge Airport, has now closed, although 257 residents voiced their wishes for the development in November.

Richard Burton, from planners Terence O’Rourke, which held the consultation, said: “Strategically it is quite an important site. It forms a gateway into the east of Cambridge.

“We’ve looked at a study of Cherry Hinton itself. It’s safe to say that from the public consultation there’s a very strong feeling of identity. The residents have told us they feel very much that it is a village and that is something they don’t want to lose.

“So in terms of the design we’ve been asked to try to capture some of the characteristics.

“Architecturally it’s a bit of a mish-mash of different styles, but that in itself is informing of its character.

“And there are some nice features – the cherry trees that were planted in memory of those who died in the Second World War, there are elements like that that we think we can incorporate into the scheme.”

Another component of the master plan is a series of cycle connections between Cambridge and Teversham.

Mr Burton continued: “Residents made it very clear they did not want vehicular connections to the existing roads in Cherry Hinton, so that is being avoided.

“Every opportunity is being taken to create either pedestrian or cycle connections so, effectively, if you’re living here and you want to get to Cherry Hinton shops and facilities, it should be quicker to cycle or walk.”

A stretch of green belt will keep the development separate from Teversham, which lies to the east.

Archaeologists have so far found “a lot of features that are of interest”, but nothing that has had to be kept in situ, so progress on the development continues.

A secondary school and a primary school are included in the development.

A planning application is expected to be submitted to Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council planners by March of next year, and it is thought that construction could begin in 2021.