Work to begin on replacing former mill with almost 30 bungalows in Fenland village

Developers have been granted permission to start work on almost 30 new homes in a Fenland village, all of them bungalows.

The application, brought by James Development Company, was approved by Fenland District Council (FDC) this week, and entails 23 two-bed bungalows and six three-bed bungalows to be built in Manea.

The site, Lavender Mill on Fallow Corner Drove was, until recently, a disused grain store.

While developers were granted outline planning permission for the scheme in 2020, they have now been given the go-ahead to start work after submitting their designs for the new homes to the district council.

These say that all homes will have a garage, parking space and garden and that there will also be a central public open space.

But while FDC’s planning committee unanimously agreed to allow works to go ahead, they were not without objection.

Manea Parish Council said that the layout and design of the buildings is “unacceptable” because they are too close to the town boundary and because the access road is too narrow.

Members of the public objecting to the development also say that amenities, particularly local schools and health services, are already overstretched.

Councillors asked developers at the planning meeting whether they would consider contributing to local services, but were told that it was too late to request this in the usual way, via a S106 agreement, as outline planning permission has already been granted.

But Cllr Ian Benney (Conservatives, Chatteris South) asked if developers could find “through the goodness of your heart and the openness of your wallet” a way to contribute regardless.

Developers said they would consider it.