More homes approved for development at former Barrington Cement Works

A change to plans for a development in South Cambridgeshire to include more homes has been approved.

Proposals to redesign a section of a 220-home development in Barrington will see the previously planned flats removed, with more houses built instead.

Outline approval for the development at the former Barrington Cement Works, off Haslingfield Road, was approved by South Cambridgeshire District Council in 2016.

A reserved matters application for more detailed plans for the site was approved through appeal in 2019.

The latest application proposed redesigning a south east section of the site, increasing the number of homes there from 33 to 38.

Under the plans the blocks of flats would be removed and houses built instead, but an area of informal open space would also be built on to make room for the additional houses. Two of the three new homes were also proposed to be designated as affordable housing.

Councillors were told that work had already started on the first phase of the development at a meeting of the district council’s planning committee today (Wednesday, August 10).

They were also told that another application to redesign another part of the development had been submitted, but was in the early stages of the planning process.

Liz Fitzgerald, of Barker Parry, representing applicant Redrow, said the new design presented an opportunity to move from a “flat development” to a scheme that made “much more efficient use of the land”.

Cllr Richard Stobart (Lib Dem, Girton) asked Ms Fitzgerald why the applicant was asking to change the plans at this stage, including losing the previously planned green space.

She explained that the open space would need to be “dug up anyway” due to sewage tanks underneath the ground.

Ms Fitzgerald also said she understood there was a sales aspect as a greater demand had been shown for houses than the previously planned flats.

Councillors said they were happy with the plans to lose the blocks of flats and that the number of ‘affordable homes’ would be increased, but raised concerns with some aspects of the proposals.

Cllr Dr Tumi Hawkins (Lib Dem, Caldecote), the cabinet member for planning, picked up that the proposed garages were not being counted as parking spaces in the application.

Ms Fitzgerald said they did not meet the space standards, but could still be used for parking.

Cllr Hawkins questioned why garages were being built that were not the right size and said people would be prevented from using them if they could only drive in and not have enough space to get out of their car.

Cllr Dr Richard Williams (Con, Whittlesford) said that while the number of houses would only be going up by three, he said the change in the types of homes on offer was more “significant”.

He highlighted in particular the decrease in the number of two-bedroom homes planned to be put up for market sale to only four.

Cllr Williams said: “Underneath the surface of what looks like a small change, there is actually a significant change because this is moving to a development of larger and therefore more expensive housing.

“What it does mean is that we are providing significantly fewer starter homes on the open market, so that concerns me and I don’t really like it.”

Despite the concerns, councillors said they could not see a material planning reason to refuse the plans.

When put to a vote a majority of councillors agreed to approve the application.

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