How Peterborough’s 5,000 home Great Haddon development is moving forward after a decade of stalled progress

The site near the A1M and A15 has been earmarked for 5,350 homes, as well as employment leading to 9,000 jobs, four schools, three shopping centres and sports facilities.

But despite the first homes initially being due for completion in 2011 no properties have yet to be built due to a number of delays.

However, it appears that there is light at the end of the tunnel with progress on the development now being made.

Who owns the land?

The land is owned by O&H Properties, Marlborough Oasis and Barratt Homes.

The vast majority of the homes (3,204) are due to be built on land owned by O&H, with 1,499 being developed on the Marlborough Oasis land through Vistry Homes, and 647 on land owned by Barratt.

Why has there been such a long delay?

With three separate land owners, negotiations with Peterborough City Council were protracted over what are known as Section 106 contributions - money handed over from the developers to support infrastructure improvements.

Deciding how the £75 million S106 money should be split proved troublesome, with regular deadlines missed.

Eventually, it took government funding of £4.5 million for the Yaxley loop road (which will serve Great Haddon from London Road) to get an agreement over the line.

However, while the council has signed off on the S106 agreements with O&H and Marlborough - allowing for works to begin on their parcels of land - no agreement has yet been reached with Barratt, meaning no development can begin in its area.

What will the S106 deliver?

According to Peterborough City Council: “The S106 package will secure affordable housing provision and obligations to deliver and fund infrastructure requirements arising from the development including three primary schools and one secondary school, highway improvements and public transport provision, community facilities and sports facilities.”

Vistry Homes, which is bringing forward the housing on the Marlborough Oasis land, has said it will be providing one of the new primary schools, as well as a large sports facility, community centre and two further local centres.

What is the current state of play?

Outline planning permission for the Great Haddon project was approved by the council in July 2018.

The 3,204 homes to be built on O&H land will be carried out in four phases, with the first phase including the loop road which recently received planning consent.

Works on this are due to begin this autumn.

According to the council, O&H will parcel up land for development by housebuilders and support this via the provision of the necessary infrastructure and surrounding landscaping.

An application to provide landscaping on one section of the site - known as Haddon Brook - was recently submitted. It includes plans for new nature reserves, open space and woodland, as well as the provision of new footpaths and cycleways, seating and picnic areas and new planting, along with a great crested newt pond and wide corridor of accessible open space.

A shared cycle and pedestrian route is also due to link to the existing cycle network via the Greenways to the south and the Green Wheel to the north of Stanground Lode.

A detailed application for the first batch of homes is expected to be submitted this summer.

Regarding the Marlborough land, which is being delivered by Vistry Homes, a planning application is due shortly, the council said.

Vistry has previously outlined its intention for construction to begin this year, with at least 259 of the homes classed as affordable housing.

When will the first houses appear?

The Peterborough Telegraph approached O&H, Vistry and Barratt with regards to a timeframe for Great Haddon.

Barratt said it will provide between 600 and 640 properties, but that it will be around three to five years before its homes are available.

It said it cannot start work on the development until other housebuilders have progressed with their construction due to its land being at the back of the development.

A spokesperson for Vistry Group said: “We have submitted the reserved matters application for the section 278 access and also the site-wide development area brief has been submitted.

“We will be undertaking some further archaeological investigation work in the coming weeks and our first detailed residential planning application will be submitted in late summer.”

Vistry has previously indicated that it hopes to have live sales outlets on-site in early 2023.

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