A developer won praise from villagers for restoring its pledge to build a care home as part of a new housing estate.

Scotsdale Hill LLP has found a purchaser for the care home which will be built as an integral part of their 150 homes estate at Fordham.

Local councillor Julia Huffer says Scotsdale will go out to consultation on the care home later this month and a planning application will follow.

She said she had nothing but praise for the way in which Scotsdale Hill had responded to the public’s response to ensure a care home was built there.

Scotsdale Hill LLP had begun consultations with villagers and East Cambs Council about changes they proposed.

“The care home has been marketed extensively but no prospective providers have been found,” the company said in a statement earlier this year.

“It is proposed therefore to seek permission for an alternative use within this part of the site.”

But those proposals have now been abandoned and a care home will go ahead.

Cllr Huffer said: “I would like to thank Chloe Houston at Hill who has worked hard to deliver this care home and to all the residents who wrote to Hill asking for them to reconsider the decision to abandon the elderly care provision.”

And Cllr Huffer says she was able to tell the parish council: “Your voices were heard.”

She said Hill was “a bit taken aback at the strength of reaction but they have now absolutely risen to the challenge of providing a care home.

“What they have effectively said is ‘we got this wrong’ and now they have repaired everything. We are blessed and lucky to have developers in the village who listen and genuinely take note of us.”

Cllr Huffer said it was essential some provision for the elderly in Fordham remained part of the development.

In August 2018 Scotsdale Hill LLP obtained consent for the 150 homes, a 75-bed care home, shop and “medical consultation facility”.

Reserved matters for phase 1, comprising 97 homes and the shop, were approved in April 2019. Development has been proceeding on site with phase 1.

Now a reserved matters application for the care home will go through planning later this year.