PLANS to alter dozens of houses on the Cathedral View housing development in Ely to combat the economic downturn have prompted fears that the area could become a slum of the future . Estate owners Barratt Developments lodged a formal application to the d

PLANS to alter dozens of houses on the Cathedral View housing development in Ely to combat the economic downturn have prompted fears that the area could become a 'slum of the future'.

Estate owners Barratt Developments lodged a formal application to the district council to have 54 homes on the site changed from three storey townhouses to a series of smaller two and three bedroom houses.

The move has prompted concerns among residents and community groups alike that the decision to change the dwellings has been rushed in order to counter the economic downturn and would damage the long-term make-up of the area.

John Baker, chairman of the Ely Society planning group, told the Ely Standard: "From the plans we have seen, we feel that the new houses will be far too small to meet the standards of the rest of the development. They are really very small and we don't think they are suitable.

"We are also concerned about how the houses are going to be built as current plans suggest they will be back-to-back which we think could make them look like Victorian slums."

Residents already living on the site also expressed concerns about the development,

with a number of objections lodged with the council highlighting worries about the introduction of more social housing in the area which, it was suggested, would be "severely detrimental" and would "reduce the value of the properties."

Andrew Swindell, Managing Director of Barratt Northampton, said: "In the light of market conditions, we have re-planned this development to build more houses rather than apartments.

"The planning officer has supported the design of the scheme and we are confident of building homes of the highest quality for families in Ely."

A decision on whether Barratt will be able to make the changes was due to be made on Wednesday evening (June 10).

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