House build in Wilburton countryside to be refused by planners
Plans to build a house in Wilburton countryside are set to be refused due being in an “unsustainable location”. Pictured here is the Old Station. Picture: GOOGLE IMAGES - Credit: Archant
Plans to build a house in Wilburton countryside are set to be refused due being in an “unsustainable location”.
Plans to build a house in Wilburton countryside are set to be refused due being in an “unsustainable location”. Picture: EAST CAMBS DISTRICT COUNCIL - Credit: Archant
The site next to The Old Station, in Station Road, is made up of garden land with cottages to the north.
Planners raised concerns that travelling by car would be “reliant” for residents as the area was outside of the centre of the village.
East Cambridgeshire District Council is set to refuse the application at a committee meeting on January 9.
Planning documents state: “The proposed dwelling is located within the countryside and, by virtue of its distance from the main settlement of Wilburton, is considered to be in an unsustainable location.
“The proposal does not promote sustainable forms of transport and the future residents of this additional dwelling will be reliant on motor vehicles in order to access any local services or facilities.”
However, it was stated that the build would make a “small but positive contribution” to local housing supply.
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It continues: “The proposal would provide benefits to the provision of an additional residential dwelling to the district’s housing stock and the positive contribution to the local and wider economy in the short term through construction work.
“But it is considered that these benefits would be outweighed by the siting of an additional dwelling in an unsustainable location and increasing reliance on the car to gain access to services and facilities.
“For these reasons the application is recommended for refusal.”
Plans were submitted by Mr and Mrs Michael Donnelly in October.
It comes as East Cambs District Council declared last year that pledges made to “improve and enhance the district” had been achieved or would be completed in the coming months.
Their affordable housing scheme was continued to be worked on throughout 2018, supported by the development of Community Land Trusts (CLT) in Wilburton and Stretham.
The council said they had a “firm grip on homelessness prevention” and since 2013 had not spent any money on bed and breakfast accommodation - an area that was previously costing the council £1 million per year.
