Residents concern as further 570 homes could be built next to Peterborough's Showground site
The deadline for the draft Local Plan consultation is on Thursday at midnight (May 29).
Residents in Peterborough have expressed their concern at a further major development that could see a further 570 homes build close to the East of England Showground site.
An area of land to the west of the Showground on Milton Estates Land has been included in the city’s draft Local Plan, which is proposed to replace the current Local Plan adopted in 2019, and will set out how the city and surrounding villages will grow and change over the next 20 years (between 2024 and 2044).
As stated in the plan, if approved, the land would be allocated for a residential development of up to 570 new homes.
This could potentially see the population of the Ortons grow significantly, especially in light of the proposals for 1,500 new homes as well as a leisure village on the Showground, which have planning approval pending the submission of a suitable section 106 agreement and traffic mitigation scheme.
Among those who have submitted their objections to the site’s inclusion in the local plan is Orton Waterville ward councillor.
Speaking on behalf of herself as well as a number of resident’s associations she has founded in light of these developments, Cllr Day said: “The key concerns are that there is already potential planning permission for 1500 homes on the Showground, plus the leisure and the care village.
“If the site to the west of the Showground gained permission for 570 houses, something the residents are concerned about is will it actually end up being 570 when the Showground was only originally going to be for 650 homes, according to the previous Local Plan. We have no assurances that this would just be five or six hundred homes, could it be more?
“If it stays at that amount, there are concerns about the local infrastructure, the GPs, dentists, schools and hospitals that are overstretched. People are also really concerned about any development potentially still using that single access road, Joseph Odam Way. Therefore, that would bring even more traffic to that road and Oundle Road. You just need roadworks on one of the parts of Oundle Road and its gridlock at peak times.
“Given the whole ward is roughly 4,500 homes, we’re looking at that going up to 6 or 7,000 and is the infrastructure issues that are the concern. I’ve been on council committees and read reports that the hospital desperately needs more beds, that not all secondary school pupils are getting their local school places so residents are concerned about the land being in the Local Plan.”
Comments can only be made on the draft Local Plan consultation until midnight on Thursday May 29. To do so, visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/planning-and-development/planning-policies/local-plan-review.