Saga around disused builder’s yard set to continue after landowner lodges another appeal

The owner of a disused builder’s yard in Haddenham which has been at the centre of a planning battle for six years has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate for a second time.

A former builder’s yard, in Hod Hall Lane, has been at the centre of a row between residents of the village and developers since 2008, when a planning application to turn the land into traveller pitches was turned down for the first time.

The owner of the yard, M Ruszkiewicz, saw subsequent plans to turn the land into traveller pitches turned down on a further two occasions before he finally won permission to build three traveller pitches on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate back in March, last year.

Just months after winning his battle, Mr Ruskiewicz had a change of heart and applied instead for permission to build four open-market houses on the land.

In his plans, Mr Ruszkiewicz acknowledged that the traveller pitches had been unpopular with neighbours and said that the half-acre site would be home to four ‘cottage style’ homes complete with parking spaces instead.

At a meeting of East Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee back in December, however, councillors opted to refuse the homes plans and now Mr Ruskiewicz is appealing for a second time.

The appeal will be heard by Jonathan Alden, who is inviting members of the public to make comment on the application before the July 10 deadline.

Mr Alden will then visit the site and subsequent hearing on August 10. A decision is expected in the autumn.

Write to Jonathan Alden, the Planning Inspectorate, 2/09 Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN.