Newborough man concerned over planning permission for 30 new affordable houses on 'tiny plot'

Planning officers have unanimously approved a planning application for 30 homes in Newborough.

The application for 30 affordable homes was not without controversy, as the area is small and this number of properties would saturate the site.

Concerns were raised about access to the site, safety concerns for children on their way to school and for pedestrians trying to use public transport.

School over-subscribed

Additional access is proposed a few meters from Bramble Close, raising concerns over the safety of pedestrians walking to the pub and shop.

Councillor Nigel Simons, ward councillor for Eye, Thorney, and Newborough said: “I have serious concerns about the existing access to the B1143 Thorney Road of which the Highways Team are well aware and of the ongoing issues, admitting that further calming measures are required.”

He added: “This application is for thirty affordable houses, which in total could provide homes for up to 126 residents.

"Can somebody please show me where there is a bus route and an adequate cycling route into the city? I’m not against development, but these essential services need to be in place, or we are looking at an anti-social behaviour disaster in the making.”

Councillor Brian Cole, chair of Newborough Parish Council supported the comments, adding: “The school is already over-subscribed, we have additional concerns about utilities into the village including sewerage and electricity – the village already suffers from frequent power outages, and this will just put more strain on an already stressed system.”

Tiny plot

Trevor Edwards, a resident of Hawthorn Close added: “Previously, the whole site – known as St Martins Road – was allocated a maximum of 62 dwellings, which included this site and Bramble Close which now has 42 dwelling completed.

"Surely then that leaves just twenty houses left to build, yet this application is for thirty properties – almost 50 per cent more in that little area.

"Bramble Close is already the most built-on in the village with 810 dwellings, with an average of 20 dwellings per hectare.

"Here you want to put 33 dwelling per hectare in such a tiny plot and for me I just don’t understand how you can justify that.”

The application site is an area of disused land on the northern edge of Newborough, bordered to the north by Thorney Road.

Planning permission is sought to build 30 affordable homes with a new vehicular access onto Thorney Road and a pedestrian link to Hawthorn Close.

The 30 proposed houses include 17 for social rent, 11 for shared ownership and two would be offered on the Rent to Buy scheme.

A mix of property sizes is proposed including detached, semi-detached, terraced and cluster homes.

Councillor Peter Hiller in proposing the approval of the application, said: “I want to support the officers recommendation that we approve this application, but I also compliment ward councillor Simons and parish councillor Cole for bringing this before the committee – its one of those development proposals that is contentious and needs to be aired and having a proper debate on applications like this.”

Despite back and forth, members of the Planning and Environmental Protection Committee agreed unanimously to approve the application.