More than 400 new homes at Marleigh will take final total up to 1,391
More than 400 new homes are due to be built at Marleigh – bringing the total at the Marleigh development to 1,391.
Outline permission was granted to Hill Marshall LLP in 2016 for up to 1,300 new homes, as well as a primary school, community facilities, and open spaces.
The latest proposals put to Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council members at a joint development control committee on 20 November asked for permission to build the final 332 homes across the third phase allowed by the original outline permission, and an additional 91, taking the total to 1,391.
Representatives of the developer said the extra 91 homes would be a “sustainable uplift” and would make “efficient use of a brownfield site” to contribute towards housing needs in the area. They said 136 affordable homes would be provided through a mixture of shared ownership and affordable rented homes.
Additional financial contributions were agreed to compensate for the impact of the extra homes, as well as some new facilities, including football pitches and a community garden.
Concerns about the increase in the total number of homes were raised. Cllr Carla Hofman raised concerns about increasing the housing density and that they would put “extra pressure” on existing community facilities.
Cllr Graham Cone said he wanted to praise the developers for their work up until now at Marleigh but said decisions had been made on affordable housing and infrastructure based on the 1,300 figure.
He said people had bought homes in Marleigh assuming this would be the total, adding: “Is it right to squeeze them on the site, potentially putting at risk some of the good work that has gone before?”
Cllr Tumi Hawkins highlighted that some new facilities had been agreed, and that 36 more affordable homes would be built, helping to cut the the housing waiting list. She said: “The benefits in my view outweighs the potential harm of additional density.”
Councillors were told parking spaces for blocks of flats would be allocated to specific homes, with the developer intending to sell one space with each private or shared-ownership flat.
Officers said this would leave a shortfall in the spaces for the affordable rented flats, with only 13 spaces between 25 flats.
Cllr Richard Williams said it “looks bad” for the councils to approve plans that would see “people in affordable housing at the back of the queue when it comes to parking”.
Cllr Katie Porrer she shared this concern that some people in the affordable flats would be left without a parking space “when those are people probably in need of it the most”.
Officers said the proposals were compliant with the parking policies. Councillors said they were “frustrated”, but accepted there was not much they could do if the proposals did not breach planning policies.
