Councillors refuse bid for new homes of former scaffold yard

A developer’s bid to build four houses on storage land in Little Thetford has been refused by councillors.

East Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee met last Wednesday to consider plans to build the two-storey houses near Holt Fen, on a site that was formerly home to a scaffolding yard.

But concerns over the loss of employment space in the village, and of building houses outside of the development envelope prompted councillors to refuse the plans.

There was no objection from the Environment Agency, the internal drainage board or Cambridgeshire County Highways.

Little Thetford Parish Council was split on the matter, saying that it thought the application “was more beneficial to the village than detrimental” but added that it couldn’t support housing “outside the development envelope”.

But East Cambs planning officer Richard West, recommended the plans for refusal.

He told councillors: “The introduction of four two storey dwellings and the cutting back of the

hedgerow adjoining Holt Fen Common would have a significant urbanising impact on the undeveloped southern side of Holt Fen which is contrary to the character of the landscape and settlement.”

Mr West also said the development could suffer from the noise impact of a nearby railway line and added that the area surrounding the site, which has lay “vacant for approximately two years”, could be home to protected species.

The developers will have six months to appeal the decision to the Planning Inspectorate.