Strain on GP services and a lack of school places are just two of the issues that people in Buckden will face if new housing developments go ahead, a parish council has claimed.
More than 700 homes could be built in Buckden if three separate applications for houses to be built in Silver Street, Lucks Lane and Mill Road are backed by Huntingdonshire District Council.
Buckden Parish Council recommended refusal for all three of the applications amid fears that the plans could overload services including schools, the GP surgery and local roads. According to the 2011 census, the population of Buckden is about 2,800 people.
In a consultation letter submitted to the district council, NHS England said: “The GP practice does not have capacity for the additional growth resulting from this development and cumulative development in the area.
“The existing GP practice does not have capacity to accommodate the additional growth resulting from the proposed developments.”
NHS England has asked for a developer contribution of £128,000 for the Silver Street development, and a contribution of £87,055 for the development in Mill Road, in order to mitigate the impact the new homes could have.
In its submission to the district council, Buckden Parish Council said: “The doctor’s surgery has already reported that the extra residents from the Lucks Lane development will result in longer waiting times and more patients having to drive to the Little Paxton surgery for appointments. There is, apparently, no solution to this problem because the current surgery has no room for expansion and there is a nationwide shortage of doctors and other medical staff.
“Further, because of the shortages of healthcare staff a third location for the practice is very unlikely to be viable. We also have doubts that the existing nursery and pre-school facilities in the village will be able to deal with the influx of children from Lucks Lane and Silver Street.”
Cambridgeshire County Council is also asking for contributions from developers on behalf of Buckden Primary School, as an extra 100 primary school places will need to be found on top of existing capacity.
In the report written by the council, it states: “The development at Lucks Lane and Mill Road will add 150 primary aged children. This development off Silver Street will add a further 136 children. If the capacity of the school is 420 places then there are not sufficient places to accommodate children from this development. Therefore, it is necessary to seek developer contributions to mitigate this.”
The county council is seeking a contribution of £886,128 to fund two additional early years classrooms if the developments were to go ahead.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here