DEVELOPERS could be encouraged to build up to 3,000 new homes on the northern side of Ely taking ideas from the Dutch under the new Master Plan – the 20-year visiion for Ely. They would be charged a levy to come into the city with the money helping to pay

DEVELOPERS could be encouraged to build up to 3,000 new homes on the northern side of Ely taking ideas from the Dutch under the new Master Plan - the 20-year visiion for Ely.

They would be charged a levy to come into the city with the money helping to pay for the facilities needed to support new families.

The homes would be built in a country park setting with the opportunity for walking, cycling, sports fields and stabling.

A new road would be built from Thistle Corner to Lynn Road and linking to the A10 to serve the homes, and a new supermarket could be built.

Plans to make the waterfront "livelier", accommodating various forms of boating and potentially new ponds and expanding the marina to include a clubhouse or small hotel.

"Applying Dutch ideas of opening up new waterways and providing homes with access to boats would give Ely a competitive edge," says the Master Plan.

"There is a marked shortage of larger quality 'executive homes' with gardens and access to large open spaces."

Ely is considered the 11th most desirable place to live in the country and the Master Plan aims to move the city "up a league" making it easier to attract private and public investment.

"The general consensus is that Ely is not yet fulfilling its true regional potential," says the Master Plan. "The new vision is of a historic cathedral where pedestrians and cyclists have primacy, with a great riverside and country park, modern offices plus carefully designed residential neighbourhoods with good social facilities, expanded leisure facilities and a better quality shopping centre."

New schools, additional youth and adult training facilities, places where young people can meet and another health care centre are all outlined in the plan.

The area near the river in Lisle Lane is best for housing - freeing up the sewage works site in Willow Walk and relocating the water treatment plan - and business space is best accommodated by the railway station and in Angel Drove.

Shops could be brought in by extending the city centre across Nutholt Lane to the Paradise Sports Centre, claim the consultants.

"At present Ely is neither succeeding as a traditional market town nor as a destination for tourists," says the plan. "Some traders are concerned that it is even falling behind smaller towns such as St Ives.

"Currently Ely fails to provide either residents or visitors with the full quality of experience they should expect from a riverside cathedral city.