'˜Our school, doctor's surgery and roads are full!' - Parents protest outside Peterborough school over homes plan

Local residents protest outside Eye primary school against proposed development in the village EMN-160711-160105009

Placards which stated that the school and local doctor’s surgery are full were held up during the morning rush (Monday, November 7), with many parents agreeing with the sentiments as they took their children into the premises.

The proposals for new homes were included in Peterborough City Council’s draft local plan up until 2036.

Pauline Broughton said: “I was born and bred here, I went to this school, my children went to this school and my grandchildren are there now.

“We have got enough houses in Eye, it’s full.”

Hellen Sayer said: “The traffic is bad at this time and in the afternoon. It’s chronic. I’ve seen two to three near accidents on my corner.

“It really is hard trying to find parking spaces.”

Vicky Thompson-Chambers, whose children Luke (9) and Ruth (6) attend the school, moved to Eye eight years ago.

She said: “I wanted my children to experience village life where it’s safe and the school is fairly small, but now it’s becoming bigger and bigger and bigger.

“It’s becoming like living in a town.

“We have a strong community in here, a good community, but our way life is definitely disappearing. We’re becoming swamped by the traffic.

“More houses means more cars.

“We can’t fit any more in. The doctor’s surgery is full - you can’t get any appointments.

“The school is full. There are two classes per school year and we do not want any more. To accommodate more people we would have to get rid of children’s play areas.

“The houses they are building might not have parking so they would have to park willy-nilly all over the village.

“The planners are just thinking how many houses can they fit in a tiny space?

“We said last time no more houses in Eye. This is making a mockery of democracy. We’ve had more than our fair share.”

The draft local plan was discussed by the council’s cabinet yesterday morning (Monday, November 7) and passed onto the consultation stage.

One of the speakers at the meeting was Eye resident and former city councillor Dale McKean. He told the cabinet that in 2011 when the last local plan was drawn up, the number of houses planned for Eye was reduced from 305 to 185 after strong objections from residents.

Dale said: “The villagers clearly do not want any more growth. Officers reduced the number of houses last time but have come back with even more.”

Ward councillor for Eye Cllr Steve Allen said: “Eye has had its fair share over the years.

“The school is under pressure and the road network is struggling.”

Cabinet member for resources Cllr David Seaton, member for Hampton Vale, said: “I feel a bit like welcome to my world. You’re concerned about 250 homes but we have 10,000 in my ward - 6,000 in Haddon and 4,000 in Hampton Gardens.”

Cllr Peter Hiller, cabinet member for growth, planning, housing and economic development, said: “Despite the continuing swingeing cuts to local authority funding by the Government, the innovation and capability of this administration has seen Peterborough come one of the fastest growing cities in the UK - and we’ve put in place proper policies to help us with further growth and development for the next 10 years.

“Without this housing sites supply we allow ourselves open to speculative and opportunistic challenges from predatory developers, the like of which we are currently defending in Barnack.”