Former council leader sees controversial plans approved

FORMER district council leader Fred Brown has won permission to redevelop two properties in Littleport into a new care home, despite his plans being met with opposition.

Cllr Brown applied to East Cambridgeshire District Council to redevelop Granary Lodge, in Granary Lane, into a residential care home spread across two buildings, linked by a corridor.

The home will feature large gardens, parking spaces and will provide jobs for a warden and care staff but attracted objections from neighbours, who said the extra traffic would make access to their homes even more difficult.

In consultation with the council, Bryan Hughes said: “There just is not enough room for more development in this area. It is a dead end lane with no room to turn around. Vehicles have to reverse out onto the main road, it is an accident waiting to happen.”

Littleport Parish Council also took a dim view of the plans, calling it an “overdevelopment of the site” and adding that the access was inadequate and the development was a “potential fire hazard”.

Despite their concerns however, district council planning officers were content that the plans were suitable for the site and granted them planning commission on Friday.