A CONTROVERSIAL plan for 21 new homes on land in Ely s Lynn Road has been thrown out on appeal. The scheme, for 14 houses, seven flats and 27 parking spaces on the site of a bungalow, prompted objections from neighbours who feared road safety problems. Ea

A CONTROVERSIAL plan for 21 new homes on land in Ely's Lynn Road has been thrown out on appeal.

The scheme, for 14 houses, seven flats and 27 parking spaces on the site of a bungalow, prompted objections from neighbours who feared road safety problems.

East Cambridgeshire District Council planners rejected the new homes plan earlier this year and an appeal was lodged with the secretary of state for communities and local government.

Appeal inspector Katie Peerless visited the site in November and was impressed with the design of the buildings and the "imaginative and attractive" layout of the site.

But she claimed that the plan was "rather over ambitious" in the number of homes on the site and felt that it would cause problems for neighbours.

Cambridgeshire highway officials raised no objection to the plan and the inspector agreed that, although the new homes would increase traffic on Lynn Road, she accepted the officers' view that the road could cope with the additional load.

"I find no reason to assume that the proposed development would be likely to contribute to such incidents or be unacceptable in terms of highway safety," she said.

But she raised concerns about the impact of the new homes on neighbouring properties and residents' ability to enjoy their gardens.

She dismissed the appeal claiming that the scheme conflicted with the East Cambridgeshire District Local Plan.