Nearly 170 acres of farmland at Littleport could be swallowed up by 1,100 homes, a retirement care complex, a supermarket, and a new primary school under plans revealed this week. Northampton based Manor Oak Homes specialises in putting together major housing projects and have unveiled their latest proposals for Littleport to East Cambridgeshire District Council.
It comes three years after work began on a 70-acre field at Littleport, also in Grange Lane and where the same developers, working with Carter Jonas, gained consent for 680 homes.
That scheme was originally for 300 homes but working with East Cambridgeshire District Council “to explore the potential” it resulted in a further 380 homes being added.
Now Manor Oak and Carter Jonas are working on their latest bid to expand Littleport and their first task has been to assemble a ‘scoping opinion’ which basically summarises technical and environmental information that can be expected in a formal planning application.
Manor Oak Homes want to build the new estate south of Grange Lane in Littleport.
The site is located to the east of A10, north of Brickmakers Way, and south of Grange Lane. To the north and east are houses, including a new estate on the north side of Grange Lane that is under construction.
The land to the south and west comprises arable fields and Littleport village centre and Littleport railway station are to the north east
The new estate would bring the village closer to Ely – the northern edge of Ely is less than 2 miles to the south of the site which is, for now, “in agricultural use, and comprises small to medium-sized arable fields”.
Carter Jonas, the agents who have compiled the 22 page ‘scoping report’ which can be viewed on the council website, says the proposed development “would exceed most of the indicative development threshold criteria”.
It says it involves a site which has not been intensively developed, the area of the scheme is more than 5 hectares and have a “significant urbanising effect in a non-urbanised area e.g. a new development of more than 1,000 dwellings.
“The key issues for urban development projects that exceed the indicative thresholds and criteria are the physical scale of such developments, and the potential increase in traffic, emissions and noise”.
A new three arm roundabout access would be introduced on Ely Road at the south east boundary of the site.
Manor Oak Homes describes itself as a “is a multi-disciplined company that specialises in promotional agreements and option agreements for strategic land opportunities co-founded by John Briggs and William Main in 2010.
“Our belief in working on an open-book basis, building a strong relationship with clients, consultants, political bodies, and industry contacts alike.
“We insist on working in a spirit of good faith, ensuring that we work in an environment of transparency and trust.
“We do not rely on a board, or the excuse of a board not to get things done and will always pick up the phone at the first opportunity”.
Carter Jonas says a planning application is being prepared on behalf of Manor Oak Homes, a scoping opinion being the preliminary stage.
“The key emissions urban development projects that exceed the indicative thresholds and criteria are the physical scale of such developments, and the potential increase in traffic, emissions and noise,” says Carter Jonas.
“These key issues have informed the assessment of environmental topics”.
Carter Jonas point out that the site is adjacent to the A10, Grange Road and Ely Road and therefore an initial briefing note on potential noise impacts from road traffic at the proposed development has been undertaken.
“The road traffic noise measurements indicate that the adjacent roads are the significant sources of noise and would be a constraint to residential development at the application site,” says Carter Jonas.
“It is recommended in the briefing note that acoustic barriers should be installed on the western site boundary with A10 and on the northern boundary with Grange Lane.
“The acoustic barriers would provide noise mitigation measures for the proposed development”.
You can read more about the application by going to the East Cambridgeshire District Council and looking for this application. It was lodged this month.
24/00250/SCOPE | SCOPING OPINION – Outline Planning Application for the erection of up to 1,100 residential dwellings (including affordable housing), retirement care scheme (Class C2), local centre, retail supermarket, community uses, and primary school and early years facility, together with all associated highways and other infrastructure as well as open space, recreation areas and landscaping along with land to deliver a BNG (Bio Diversity Net Gain) on-site | Site South Of Grange Lane Littleport Cambridgeshire
