DETAILS of a 200-home development on the edge of St Ives have gone on display – with ambitions to have the work completed by 2017.

Barratt Homes wants to build about 200 homes on what remains of the former St Ives Golf Club site to the west of the town, next to the David Wilson development off Houghton Road.

The proposals are for a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses – vehicle access would be through the David Wilson estate – as well as a country park to the south of the site, with ponds, picnic areas, a bird-watching platform and paths, linking the development to the town centre.

Visitors to the exhibition at The Burgess Hall on Thursday and Friday were asked for their views on the development and to vote for the name – the choices were Spire Mews, Cromwell Meadows, Chapel Green, Riverside Gardens, Westwood Fields or Greenways.

The developer hopes to submit a planning application at the beginning of next year and expects it will take four years to complete the work.

Steve Evans, who was at the Burgess Hall, said he was concerned about the effect the development would have on Houghton Road traffic.

Mr Evans, of Redwell Close, St Ives, said: “This is just going to exacerbate the problem and it’s going to affect a lot of residents in the town and will add traffic to an already busy stretch of road.

“It’s really important that the new development does not affect the flow as it’s not just St Ives traffic but vehicles from Huntingdon as well.”

A spokesman for Barratt said that it would introduce a smart traffic light system that worked in tandem with other traffic lights at Houghton Road/High Leys/Hill Rise to maintain the flow of traffic. She said a traffic survey had been taken but the results had not been finalised.

The site, which will also include public open space and a children’s play area, has a large number of protected trees and Barratt has said it would try to retain as many as possible.

“It will not be possible to retain every tree on site but with the benefit of the survey we have tried to ensure the finest specimens are retained and, in some cases, become a focal point within the scheme.”