The action group telling East Cambs Council you’re wrong, wrong, wrong to say we want 500 homes. We don’t and we can prove it
An artist's impression of what Kennett could look like as a garden village. Picture: ARCHITECT. - Credit: Archant
An action group set up to challenge alleged support for a community land trust has the potential to threaten multi million pounds profits for East Cambridgeshire District Council.
As the application for 500 homes at Kennett near Newmarket edge towards a decision, villagers opposed to the scheme suspect they have the council on the back foot.
Fundamental to the plans to deliver the homes at Kennett by the council’s own development arm Palace Green Homes and to build a percentage of affordable homes has been the belief it has widespread community support.
However the Kennett Action Group believes the council has over stated that support and can demonstrate the figures are grossly exaggerated.
The group says there are determined evidence given to the inspector during the examination of the emerging local plan ought not to be lost.
The group says it was able to prove to the inspector that the Kennett Community Land Trust “was not community led” and that the majority of villagers did not want 500 homes put there.
Surprisingly the inspector wanted community led development policies removed from the Local Plan for East Cambs even though they underpin the council’s financial strategy.
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“It seems the council believed that the 500 houses in Kennett had community support, but the story told to the inspector tells a different story,” says an action group spokesman.
They say they can prove overwhelming opposition by villagers and say the Government needs to note those local bodies that oppose it.
According to the planning portal of the council these local councils and groups have objected;
Kennett Parish Council
Kentford Parish Council
Moulton Parish Council
Herringswell Parish Council
Newmarket Town Council
Newmarket Horsemen’s Group
Campaign to Protect Rural England
“We are not NIMBYS” said the spokesman. “We embrace proportionate sustainable development but 500 houses are not.”
“We believe the CLT does not represent village views.
Under the 2015 local plan – now back in place – no small settlement can expand beyond the current development envelope and only in proportionate size to the village. “This development is outside of the development envelope and Kennett Action Group will continue to fight against these 500 houses.”
