A developer has submitted plans for Ely’s first ever build-to-rent scheme – where all 116 homes will be available only to rent.

The scheme - which will also include a commercial building - will be located at the former Westmill Foods site in Angel Drove and is being called Cathedral Green.

Proposals from Godwin Developments include 57 two- and three- bedroom homes with their own gardens as well as 59 one- and two-bedroom low-rise apartments with balconies.

There will also be a 1,457 square metre, three storey, commercial building and 122 car parking spaces for residents and visitors.

Landscaped spaces, a woodland walk to the nearby wildlife site at Ely Pits and Meadows, play areas, an exercise space and a pedestrian zone is also outlined in the application.

Ely Standard: Artist's impression of the Cathedral Green pedestrian zone.Artist's impression of the Cathedral Green pedestrian zone. (Image: Supplied by Godwin Developments)

Gurdeep Gill, associate director at Godwin Developments, said: “Our proposals seek to deliver a scheme that will fit well into the local area and improve its appeal to a wide range of residents, while also bringing new homes and jobs to Ely."

James Mulcare, the developer’s head of residential capital markets, added the Cathedral Green scheme is “designed to attract a mix of residents” and create “a truly multigenerational community.”

He said: “It will cater to a growing requirement for homes in suburban destinations, commuter towns and regional cities.

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“When complete, the development will be under single institutional ownership and it will be professionally operated and maintained to ensure it remains a welcoming home to its occupants and an asset to the city for many years to come.”

A press release from the developer also states “specific emphasis will also be given to enhancing links between the development and the established local communities nearby”.

It says there are plans to improve footpaths in the area which are currently overgrown, and maintain existing connections with the Kings Ely School to the north of the site.

If given the go-ahead, it also states residents would also be able to benefit from being a 10-minute walk to Ely Railway Station, shops and other local amenities.

The former Westmill Foods factory site has been vacant for 13 years and the buildings were demolished by 2012.

In February, East Cambridgeshire planners decided an environmental assessment was not required alongside the formal planning application.