Developers who want to build 660 homes in Littleport say don’t worry it won’t change ‘character, scale and make-up of the town’

Land north of Grange Lane and east of the A10 (including allocated site LIT2), Littleport, where nearly 700 homes could be built (Image: Archant)

The company has outlined proposals for land north of Grange Lane, Littleport and east of the A10 that could see 72 acres of farmland swallowed up although 22 acres will be left as public open space. A 10 year build programme is expected.

Manor Oak Homes outlined their ideas in a screening request to East Cambridgeshire District Council that has just been published. The report will test the waters and determine progress of the proposals.

Included will be some sheltered housing/assisted living provision, self build bungalows and houses and some work place homes.

There is also a community centre proposed, a range of convenience shops, business units (e.g. for a hairdresser) and a café.

The developers say 300 of the homes are already allocated through the Local Plan on the northern part of the site. They emphasis that the plan also mentions the remainder of the site “when referring to broad areas for future growth”.

Manor Oak – run by partner William Main a chartered survey and John Briggs a former farmer- was set six years ago to find land suitable for housing and acquire options before being sold on.

“The size of the proposed development, in and of itself, is not considered likely to give rise to a significant environmental effect,” says Manor Oak in a submission to East Cambs planners.

The developers point out the changing characteristics of Littleport that, based on 2012 figures, has 3,360 homes but with permission for 650 homes on the Highfields Farm development and 63 at Upton Lane, Littleport.

A further 660 homes would add 16 per cent to the number of households which Manor Oak argue “is unlikely to result in an inassimilable change to the character, scale and make-up of the town”.