‘The council is taking our coach parking and now these trees - WHAT NEXT?’: angry resident tapes messages on threatened trees as council prepares to begin building 11 homes on Barton Road
Residents have taped these messages to trees on Barton Road, Ely, in protest against the building of 11 homes on the road. - Credit: Archant
An angry resident has penned messages and taped them to trees on Barton Road in Ely to protest over the decision to build 11 new homes there.
Residents have taped these messages to trees on Barton Road, Ely, in protest against the building of 11 homes on the road. - Credit: Archant
The notes – which read ‘In Ely ECDC is taking away the toilets, the car parking, the coach parking and now these trees! WHAT NEXT?’ – have been taped to five trees threatened by the construction of the homes, which were given the green light by the council’s planning committee in August.
Work will begin on November 7, and the council hopes the 11 homes will make £1.7 million in profit.
Residents have criticized the plans, saying they will “obliterate the history” of the city, as well as affecting tourism, as the city’s coach park will be moved.
The council’s conservation officer also hit out at the development, saying plans “neither preserve nor enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area.”
An artist's impression of the Barton Road development. - Credit: Archant
The council’s application was ‘called-in’ to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, after it received over 150 objections, but was passed back to the council’s planning committee as Mr Javid was “content” for the decision to be made locally.
An archaeological survey, which will identify whether there is anything of historical interest on the site, will take place next month.
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Councillor Bill Hunt said: “Starting work at the earliest convenience means that we can provide much needed homes and reap the rewards for the public purse sooner.
“With any new development, such as Barton Road, the developer must pay a fee to the District Council on commencement of work called a community infrastructure levy (CIL), and this has been earmarked to be re-invested back into the new leisure centre on Downham Road and the Ely Southern Bypass, so we’re keen to get going.”
