A development of nearly 300 homes at a site in Sawtry has moved a step closer to fruition after final details of the scheme were approved.

The 295 new properties, by Bovis Homes, are being built off Gidding Road and follow adjacent developments of 190 homes by Persimmon and 80 by Linden Homes which have just been built.

Huntingdonshire District Council has given the go-ahead to the appearance of the development, its layout and scale, together with landscaping, parking and open space.

Outline permission for the site, on about 26 acres of farmland, was granted by the council in 2018.

Developers said the new homes, ranging from one to five bedrooms, would provide a soft edge to the village and minimise the impact in long-distance views.

Forty per cent of the homes, totalling 118 units, will be "affordable", with 70 per cent of these for rent and the rest shared ownership.

In their planning application the developers said: "The development proposals create a neighbourhood with a clear identity and distinct qualities."

The statement said: "Biodiversity will be improved and the provision of a mix of housing type and tenures will ensure the needs of the local community are fully met through a range of unit type and tenures."

It added: "The development proposals seek to provide a sustainable development of new family homes set within a high-quality mature landscape setting which will provide a range of homes for the benefit of the community."

Sawtry Parish Council approved the development, despite having initial concerns over the number of houses proposed, traffic issues on Gidding Road, sewerage and surface water drainage, problems created by a single access, damage to roads and the impact on capacity at schools and medical facilities.

There were five other representations with similar concerns.

The Wildlife Trust said that although habitats were to be created as required, they were unlikely to be enough to deliver a net gain in biodiversity as envisaged.

But planners at the council said: "The development will provide a good quality residential environment whilst avoiding an unacceptable detrimental impact upon the amenity of the occupants within neighbouring developments and is acceptable in terms of highway safety."