Homes set for approval in Wisbech despite fears development will impact health services
Officers are recommending approval for 16 homes to be built in Wisbech despite concerns raised by police and local NHS bosses.
The application by Ivan Towler of St Mary's Estates to build the three-bedroom houses on a site at 134a Ramnoth Road is set to go to Fenland District Council's planning committee on January 11 and the reason councillors and not officers will be making the decision is because of the number of representations contrary to the approval recommendation.
A report on the proposal explains that a viability study has shown the proposal is not able to deliver affordable homes nor provide any section 106 contributions - money paid by developers towards local services and infra-structure.
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CPCCG) has raised concerns that the proposed development will have an impact on three GP practices in the town and goes on to say: "It would appear that none have capacity for any additional growth resulting from this development.
"Its implications, if unmitigated, would be unsustainable. The proposed development must therefore, in order to be considered under the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ advocated in the National Planning Policy Framework, provide appropriate levels of mitigation."
The CPCCG concludes that the developer should pay £9,600 towards the costs of providing additional primary health services before the development is started.
Cambridgeshire Police's designing out crime team have raised concerns over the amount of lighting that will be provided on the site - just two lighting columns along with bollards.
A spokesperson for the team commented: "At this stage I'm not convinced that there is sufficient lighting. Bollard lighting should only be used as way-finding and not as a main source of lighting."
And the county's highways department are not happy with the proposed access on to Ramnoth Road stating that while it is broadly acceptable the drawings lack detail and recommends the applicant provides a more detailed plan.
Highways also state the internal roads on the development will not be adopted without amendments as the road is "too narrow" and the surfacing material is "incorrect" and adds: "Unless the scheme is amended to address this, it will remain in private ownership for the lifetime of the development". That means residents will be jointly responsible for its upkeep.
If it remains private then the council's refuse collection team is unlikely to access the development meaning alternative arrangements for how the rubbish will be collected will need to be considered.
When it comes to schools and the library service Cambridgeshire County Council wants to see the developer provide financial contributions totalling over £83,000 prior to the occupation of half the homes, with the £20,000 wanted for early years provision paid before the development is started.
Local residents have also added their voices of concern with worries over access to the site, increased traffic, over development and a loss of privacy being among the objections raised.
Despite all this Fenland's planning officers are recommending approval subject to a raft of conditions including installation of an updated street lighting plan and submission of a more detailed plan for access on to Ramnoth Road, which must be agreed before any work starts on site.
