Councillor’s fear over impact of homes plan in Sawtry
Pathfinder House, home of Huntingdonshire District Council. - Credit: Archant
A proposal for more than 290 houses in Sawtry will be “a burden on infrastructure”, according to a councillor.
Cambridgeshire County Council member for Sawtry, Simon Bywater, has spoken out following an application submitted by housing developer KLER Group to build 295 homes on a 26-acre parcel of land, off Gidding Road.
“I don’t like building on green spaces when there are plenty of other areas in the district that could be built on,” said Cllr Bywater.
“This development will be a burden on the village’s infrastructure and the drainage in the area will not cope with the hundreds of homes planned, with more and more residents it is about finding a balance.”
Despite his concerns over infrastructure Cllr Bywater conceded that, if the development was given the go-ahead, it would have a positive impact on the amount of children at Sawtry Village Academy.
“Since the school in Hampton is due to open we have lost dozens of pupils from the Yaxley area who would have previously come to Sawtry. So this development
would certainly help add to student numbers,” Cllr Bywater added.
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Hampton Gardens School is due to open in September and will offer 1,500 pupil places.
Planning documents, submit-ted on behalf of KLER Group, to Huntingdonshire District Council stated that the housing development would not “substantially harm the character or setting of Sawtry”.
The application went on: “The properties within the application site will adopt a high quality layout which is sympathetic to the wider rural setting, forming an appropriate transition between the road corridor of Gidding Road, Sawtry village and the gently rising countryside to the south and west.
“In terms of appearance, the proposals will incorporate traditional and high quality materials to ensure appropriate elevational treatments are achieved and the proposals appear recessive in this location.”
Sawtry Parish Council discussed the application last Wednesday and will submit its
views to the district council for consideration by officers.
